France has confirmed its good debut in the Euro 2020 qualifiers by crushing Iceland (4-0) on Monday (March 25th), topping Group H with Turkey.
They have put the forms: les Bleus have confirmed their very good debut in Euro 2020 qualifying by slamming Iceland 4-0 , Monday, March 25, 2019 at the Stade de France. And Olivier Giroud, third best scorer in the history of French football, exceeds David Trezeguet.
Thanks to this nice success, after the one in Moldova (4-1) , France joins Turkey at the top of group H. The world champions will be able to seize the first place alone on June 8th if they win Konya, at their Turkish competitors.
Didier Deschamps is already projecting himself:
Do not think that’s it, we’re qualified. The next match, at our Turkish friends, it will be hot boiling. But we have these six points, we are on our board. We put the way too, this month of March is very positive for us.
In a beautiful atmosphere at the Stade de France, les Bleus have made the show, relying on the stalls of Antoine Griezmann and the vivacity of Kylian Mbappé to crack an Icelandic block, as expected grouped in defense.
Mbappé focused for the opening of the scoring: a Samuel Umtiti header (12th minute), waking up the memory of his goal against Belgium, in the World Cup semi-final.
Giroud among the best
As in Russia, the central defender immediately “broke the gait”, with his funny waddling to celebrate his goals, like a puppet disarticulated.
The performance of “Big Sam” will do him good. The defender of FC Barcelona (29 caps) out of long months of trouble caused by a left knee injury. There were doubts about his ability to chain Moldova, then this reception of Iceland three days later.
The world champions then needed a little time to definitively kill the match. But the score is without appeal, 4-0 with goals of Giroud (68th), Mbappé (78th) and Griezmann (84th).
With 35 goals in 89 selections, Giroud now occupies only the third place in the ranking of the best scorers in history in the French team, ahead of David Trezeguet.
And he can now eye the second place of this prestigious record, the 41 goals of Michel Platini, behind the untouchable Thierry Henry (51 goals).
Mbappé, somewhat criticised for gestures of humor in Moldova, was also one of the men of the match, between his attempts next in the first half (23rd, 33rd) and his acceleration on the third goal.
Griezmann the metronome
Incidentally, the one who piled the records becomes the youngest player to reach the 30 caps mark in Blue, at 20 years and 3 months, noted the statistician Opta.
Rewarded scoring late in the game, Griezmann was once again the metronome of his team, making himself very available in a first period more delicate.
The party was therefore total, even if Benjamin Pavard, who dreamed of reissuing his cannon ball of the World Cup struck twice next.
Meanwhile, the Stade de France celebrated its world champions at the top of their lungs, between great Ola, Marseillaise, hymn to the glory of Pavard and “Chalalalalalalalala, Champions of the world! “.
And the Federation could be satisfied with this beautiful atmosphere, for its centenary.
“1919-2019 – 100 years of football”, could be read on a giant tarpaulin before the meeting, with the names of a hundred personalities who have marked the history of French football. It included the world champions, who made the job against Iceland and start strong these qualifications for the Euro 2020.
