Thanks in particular to a double from Benjamin Pavard, the France team easily beat Scotland (4-1), Tuesday evening at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, in a friendly match.
Officially qualified for Euro 2024 since last Friday and a sixth victory in a row in the qualifiers, against the Netherlands (1-2), the French team followed up with a 4-1 success in a friendly match against the Scotland, Tuesday evening, at “the Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille Métropole” (the official title of this venue located in Villeneuve-d’Ascq). It must be said that Didier Deschamps rotated less than the opposing coach, Steve Clarke…
Aligned in a two-man central defense for the first time, Benjamin Pavard scored a prestigious double, on a corner from Antoine Griezmann (16th) and on a service from Kylian Mbappé (24th). He is the first defender to score a double since Mamadou Sakho in November 2013 (and the memorable France-Ukraine play-off second leg of the World Cup). The Northerner is also the first player to score a double header since Zinédine Zidane in the 98 World Cup final!
Mbappé returns to Griezmann
Before Pavard’s double, the Tartan Army had opened the scoring, Billy Gilmour taking advantage of an improbable missed back pass from Eduardo Camavinga to beat Mike Maignan (11th). Before half-time, Kylian Mbappé improved his statistics, converting a penalty into a foul on Olivier Giroud (41st). After overtaking Michel Platini with his double last Friday, he now has 43 goals and is getting closer to the historic podium, since “Grizi” has one more goal.
Kingsley Coman and Marcus Thuram were launched on the hour mark (64th) and it was the Bayern winger who scored the fourth and final French goal, in force (70th). Boubacar Kamara and Youssouf Fofana had the right to the last quarter of an hour, then defender Castello Lukeba honored his very first selection, at 20, by entering at the end of the match.
