Report: France 3-2 England

Tuesday 13 Jun 2017

Ten-man France edged an end-to-end contest with the Three Lions, despite Harry Kane taking his England goal tally to three in four days.

Kane, named captain for the second successive match, followed up Saturday’s last-gasp equaliser in Scotland with an early strike to put England in front.

They trailed by half-time though, with defenders Samuel Umtiti and Djibril Sidibe both scoring from rebounds following smart saves by Tom Heaton, making his first England start.

The Three Lions last enjoyed success in France in June 1997, but sensed the chance to go on and win at the start of the second half when Kane scored from the penalty spot after Raphael Varane was sent off for a foul on Dele Alli.

But, with the match in the balance, the Euro 2016 runners-up found a winner through 20-year-old midfielder Ousmane Dembele.

Before kick-off ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ echoed around the Stade de France and then home supporters joined England’s travelling fans in singing ‘God Save the Queen’ – thoughtful tributes following the recent terror attacks in Manchester and London.

Once the action on the pitch started it took just nine minutes for England to make the breakthrough. Alli’s cross-field pass landed at the feet of Raheem Sterling inside the box. The Manchester City winger back-heeled the ball into the path of Ryan Bertrand on the overlap, and the left-back put a low cross into the six-yard box that Kane finished past Tottenham Hotspur team-mate Hugo Lloris.

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France should have been level six minutes later when Mbappe teed up Dembele at the end of a swift break but, with only Heaton to beat, he failed to test the Burnley keeper, side-footing wide.

Midway through the first half Umtiti levelled the score with his first international goal. Heaton did brilliantly to scoop away Olivier Giroud’s stooping header from Lemar’s deep free-kick, but the loose ball fell to Umtiti who swept in.

Heaton endured a busy 45 minutes, next sticking a leg out to block a low shot from Mbappe at his near post.

Opposite number Lloris almost instantly was called into action himself to push a long-effort from Bertrand around the post. From the resulting corner, taken by Bertrand, Kane, at the far post, headed the ball back into the box to Eric Dier, whose first-time shot whizzed narrowly wide.

Two minutes before the break Sidibe fired France in front. Dembele went by John Stones on the right-side of the box and though his shot was saved by Heaton, as with the first goal, the loose ball fell to a blue shirt and Sidibe slotted in from close range.

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Within 60 seconds of the restart Alli won a penalty after being tripped by Varane. Following consultation with the Video Assistant Referee Varane was shown a straight red card. Kane blasted the consequent spot-kick straight down the middle.

England pressed forwards, keen to make their man advantage count, and Alli saw a header saved.

But it was France who had a golden opportunity to regain the lead in the final 20 minutes when Mbappe found space inside the box, but blasted against the crossbar. The loose ball fell to Lemar, whose low shot beat half-time substitute Jack Butland but Gary Cahill was well-positioned to block on the line.

Dembele did though find the winner for France on 78 minutes, with a neat move that saw Paul Pogba play a first-time pass to Mbappe on the edge of the box, who, with his back to goal laid the ball off to his right where Dembele hit a low drive across goal and beyond Butland.

England: 1 Tom Heaton; 4 Phil Jones, 5 Gary Cahill, 6 John Stones; 2 Kieran Trippier, 8 Eric Dier, 11 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 3 Ryan Bertrand; 7 Raheem Sterling, 10 Dele Alli; 9 Harry Kane

Substitutes: 12 Kyle Walker for Bertrand 46, 13 Jack Butland for Heaton 46, 19 Adam Lallana for Trippier 76, 14 Aaron Cresswell for Jones 81

Substitutes not used: 15 Ben Gibson, 17 Jake Livermore, 18 Jermain Defoe, 20 Marcus Rashford, 21 Jesse Lingard, 22 Fraser Forster, 23 Joe Hart

Manager: Gareth Southgate

Goals: Kane 9, 48 pen

Yellow cards: Stones 62, Alli 74

France: 1 Hugo Lloris; 19 Djibril Sidibe, 4 Raphael Varane, 22 Samuel Umtiti, 3 Benjamin Mendy; 11 Ousmane Dembele, 13 N’Golo Kante, 6 Paul Pogba, 8 Thomas Lemar; 9 Olivier Giroud, 12 Kylian Mbappe

Substitutes: 17 Lucas Digne for Mendy 21, 21 Laurent Koscielny for Giroud 52, 2 Christophe Jallet for Sidibe 89

Substitutes not used: 5 Presnel Kimpembe, 7 Antoine Griezmann, 10 Dimitri Payet, 14 Blaise Matuidi, 15 Adrien Rabiot, 16 Alphonse Areola, 18 Moussa Sissoko, 20 Alexandre Lacazette, 23 Benoit Costil, 24 Corentin Tolisso, 25 Kurt Zouma, 26 Florian Thauvin

Manager: Didier Deschamps

Goals: Umtiti 22, Sidibe 43, Dembele 78

Red cards: Varane 47

Referee: Davide Massa (Italy)

By Josh Richards Digital Producer