Luxembourg 1-3 France
France stays top of Group A and breathed a huge sigh of relief after being pushed harder than expected by a spirited Luxembourg at the Stade Josy-Barthel.
Two goals from Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud were enough to win the game but it wasn’t as easy as pre-match betting odds suggested. France dominated possession as you would expect, but Luxembourg fought hard for their fans who love the big football games when they come around.
The hosts had an admirable goal difference of just -4 after four games before kick-off and even the flamboyant French, Antoine Griezmann and all, couldn’t make a mess of it. Indeed it took 28 minutes for Les Bleus to break through when Djibril Sidibe found Giroud and the Gunner fired high into the net.
But then came the moment of the night for the home fans when Daniel Alves Da Mota was fouled in the box by Biase Matuidi, and up stepped top scorer Aurelien Joachin to coolly slot home. 1-1!
The ground was still rocking when Da Mota, the man who won the penalty, gave one away just three minutes later felling the lively Sidibe. Griezmann made no mistake to score his second of the qualifying campaign.
Luxembourg continued to battle in the second half and the French feared embarrassment right up until the 77th minute when Benjamin Mendy crossed for Giroud to power a header home.
So it’s 15 wins out of 15 against Luxembourg for France, but the hosts can certainly hold their heads up high. Well played lads!
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