Euro 2024 ‍: France beat Greece and almost have their ticket in their pocket

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By: Manu Tournoux

Euro 2024 ‍: France beat Greece and almost have their ticket in their pocket

Qualification for Euro 2024

Stade de France

France beats Greece: 1 to 0

Goal: Mbappé (53rd sp) for France

Expulsion: Mavropanos (Greece) in the 70th

With four victories in as many matches in qualifying for Euro 2024 in Germany, France has had a perfect run. The success (1-0) this Monday evening against Greece almost definitively seals the tricolor qualification.

For its last outing of the 2022-2023 season, the French team had the opportunity to take a big step towards Euro 2024, and this, in a packed Stade de France. Faced with a team from Greece which was following the Blues in the standings, the Blues therefore had every interest in not crashing. Dominating throughout the first period, without being brilliant, the 2022 world vice-champions did not find the fault, being too feverish in the last gesture, like this too soft strike from Koundé repelled by the Greek goalkeeper (44th).

Just after the break, and following a head-on tackle from Mavropanos on Grizemann, Mateu Lahoz awarded a penalty, the Spanish referee however not sending off the Greek player after the use of VAR. In charge of taking this penalty, Mbappé stumbled on Vlachodimos (53rd). But, the goalkeeper was in front of his line at the time of the shot, and he was therefore withdrawn and this time transformed by the PSG striker (1-0). Kylian Mbappé scored his 40th goal there in the tricolor jersey on this occasion and became the record holder for French scorers in a season with 54 goals in all competitions, erasing from the shelves the 53 goals of Just Fontaine in 1957-1958.

Saved for the first time by the referee, Mavropanos was sent off in the 70th minute after swinging Kolo Muani who was heading towards goal, the Greek defender leaving his team at ten. On the free kick awarded at the edge of the area, Griezmann was not far from doubling the lead, his shot brushing against the crossbar (71st). Faced with a Greece team that did not appear to be dangerous, the Blues tried to kill the suspense and besieged the visitor’s goal. On a smoothly conducted counter, Mbappé and Dembélé were close to finding the fault, but the Barça player lacked a few centimeters to achieve it (88th). We left it there, despite fourteen minutes of additional time, a result which is obviously very positive for France.

Group B standings

1st. France 12 points

2nd. Greece 6 pts (-1m)

3rd. Ireland 3 pts (-1m)

4th. Netherlands 3 pts (-2m)

5th. Gibraltar 0 pts

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Manu Tournoux

Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team. As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers. When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.

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