Benjamin Pavard’s sweet strike edged World Cup finalists France to a Euro 2024 qualifying victory in Dublin as the Republic of Ireland were made to pay for one fatal error.
Pavard’s 50th-minute contribution, which came after he had picked off Josh Cullen’s ill-advised pass across the edge of his own box, secured a 1-0 Group B victory to go with Friday’s 4-0 rout of the Netherlands. However, it took a brilliant 90th-minute save from Mike Maignan to deny Nathan Collins a last-gasp equaliser in a grandstand finish.
The world’s third-ranked side were made to work desperately hard for the points by an Ireland team sitting 48th in Fifa’s table two years to the day since they suffered the humiliation of a 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat by Luxembourg at the Aviva Stadium.
France dominated possession for much of the game, but were unable to trouble the keeper Gavin Bazunu until Cullen’s rare slip let Pavard in as Stephen Kenny’s men, who handled superstar Kylian Mbappé well, defended diligently and tried to hit them on the break.
Ireland’s fate in this campaign was never likely to be decided on their results against France, and their trip to Greece in June before Gibraltar head for the Aviva will be far more indicative, but Kenny will take heart from the way his young team committed to his game-plan in the face of the sternest of tests.
With wide frontmen Chiedozie Ogbene and Jason Knight dropping in when they were out of possession, the home side were compact, although they were breached with nine minutes gone when Randal Kolo Muani was played in over the top and rounded Bazunu, only for his back-heeled pass to Olivier Giroud to be cut out by Collins.
Ireland were squeezed ever deeper as France turned the screw with Antoine Griezmann orchestrating, and it took a good 16th-minute block by John Egan to keep Mbappéat bay. With what little share of the ball they were afforded, Ireland did their best to take risks without ever really threatening to pierce the French defence.
The hosts needed Bazunu to spring from his line to prevent any damage after Griezmann’s 24th-minute corner had ricocheted across his six-yard box. Griezmann then stabbed wide as he attempted to turn Theo Hernández’s 32nd-minute drive past Bazunu and missed the target with a header from Pavard’s cross.
In the event, a team which had scored three times inside the opening 21 minutes against the Dutch left the pitch at half-time locked in a stalemate having been unable to break down a stubborn and disciplined Irish rearguard. However, the home side faltered within five minutes of the restart to hand the visitors the lead.
Cullen intercepted Adrien Rabiot’s misplaced pass on the edge of his own penalty area, but then played the ball square, where Pavard pounced before smashing a shot past the helpless Bazunu off the underside of the crossbar.
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The Netherlands kickstarted their Euro 2024 campaign after their 4-0 defeat to France, but Ronald Koeman’s side were still far from convincing as they beat 10-man Gibraltar 3-0 in Rotterdam.
Memphis Depay headed home Denzel Dumfries’ cross for the only goal of the first half before Nathan Aké [pictured] doubled the hosts’ lead five minutes after the restart, Dumfries again the provider. Liam Walker was sent off moments later for a studs-up tackle on Mats Wieffer.
The minnows held on to the two-goal deficit until the 82nd minute, when Aké got his second goal via a deflection to secure the team’s first points in Group B. ‘We were sloppy in possession. It was a very difficult evening,’ admitted the Dutch captain, Virgil van Dijk, afterwards.
In Group F, Sweden bounced back from their opening defeat to Belgium as they thumped Azerbaijan 5-0, with Emil Forsberg and Anthony Elanga among the scorers. Forsberg broke the deadlock seven minutes before half-time, with Bahlul Mustafazade’s own goal making it 2-0.
Viktor Gyökeres’ tap-in put the result beyond doubt, before Jesper Karlsson added a superb free kick with two minutes to go. There was still time for Elanga to complete the scoring in style, running through the defence and rounding the keeper to add a fifth in Stockholm.
Austria are top of the group after a late 2-1 comeback victory over Estonia. The visitors led at half-time through Rauno Sappinen’s goal after Michael Gregoritsch had missed a penalty. The Freiburg striker made amends in the 88th minute, netting the winner after Florian Kainz had levelled in Linz.
In Group G, Balint Vecsei, Dominik Szoboszlai and Martin Adam all scored as Hungary began their campaign with a 3-0 home win over Bulgaria. Dusan Vlahovic’s late double earned Serbia a 2-0 victory in nearby Montenegro, along with top spot in the group.
In Group E, Poland earned a narrow 1-0 home win over Albania with Karol Swiderski on target just before the break. After losing to Czech Republic in Friday’s opener, Poland are now a point behind the group leaders after they were held to a goalless draw in Moldova. PA Media/Reuters
It might have been 2-0 had Evan Ferguson in the defensive wall not got his head to Griezmann’s 55th-minute free-kick, although the Atlético Madrid star turned up on the edge of his box to block Knight’s goal-bound strike after Ogbene had burst clear down the right three minutes later.
Moussa Diaby tested Bazunu’s resolve with a swerving 69th-minute effort and the Southampton keeper repelled Rabiot’s attempt from distance six minutes later, but Molumby and the substitutes James McClean and Alan Browne all went close to an equaliser in a tense conclusion.
But for Maignan, who had seconds earlier clawed the ball from underneath his crossbar, Collins would have snatched a famous draw at the death. After the game, Kenny described the save as “out of this world, one of those incredible saves.”
“We’re disappointed not to get at least a point,” he added. “We didn’t concede any chances up to the goal and that was disappointing. The substitutes made an impact and we finished strongly in the last 15 minutes.”
“We have watched France’s last 20 games and we’ve never seen Kylian Mbappé, who I voted for as the best player in the world, have such a quiet night,” Kenny concluded.
The France manager, Didier Deschamps, also singled out Maignan for praise. “It was an incredible save and we know what Mike is capable of. [He] has great qualities, his stature and his mentality. He saved a penalty last Friday [against the Netherlands], but this was more significant. He is a great leader and a great player.”
Deschamps added he was “very content” with France’s start to qualifying. “Six points, five goals scored and none conceded. It was tough coming here after Friday … Ireland played well, they defended well. We didn’t create as many chances and we needed an amazing save at the end, which was as important as a goal.”
