Player ratings as Mbappe penalty earns Bleus slender win

Kylian Mbappe’s second-half penalty was sufficient for France to labour to victory over ten-player Greece at Stade de France in Euro 2024 qualifying on Monday evening.

The PSG ahead netted from the spot after Konstantinos Mavropanos kicked Antoine Griezmann within the face and the previous Arsenal defender was later despatched off for bringing down Randal Kolo Muani because the final defender.

Man Poyet’s Greece had earned victories over Gibraltar and the Republic of Eire to take a seat close to the highest of Group B, although France went robust with their XI as Kolo Muani joined Mbappe and Kingsley Coman in assault.

Greece rode the wave of French stress earlier than forcing their first nook of the sport, however no likelihood arrived. Kolo Muani then headed broad from Antoine Griezmann’s clip a couple of minutes later.

Les Bleus exerted some early stress as Kolo Muani’s cross reached Hernandez on the again previous, however the full again’s two pictures had been blocked earlier than Mbappe cleared the aim with an opportunity from a second successive nook.

Mbappe noticed three appeals for penalties turned down by Antonio Mateu Lahoz – the busy Spaniard was officiating his remaining sport – whereas an extended passage of build-up ended with Coman choosing out Jules Kounde on the again publish, although the Barcelona defender’s effort was too meek to open the scoring.

Greece’s clear sheet hopes went up in smoke as Mavropanos caught Griezmann with a excessive boot within the field, chopping the Atletico Madrid man open as Lahoz pointed to the spot.

Mbappe’s first penalty was saved however encroachment noticed it retaken and no mistake was made on the second try, choosing out the highest nook.

Mavropanos’ second yellow card noticed him dismissed to make France’s activity of seeing out the ultimate moments with out an excessive amount of threat as Griezmann got here shut from a free kick and Ousmane Dembele loved himself from the subs bench.

France are actually six factors clear on the prime of Group B having performed a sport greater than Greece and Eire, with the Netherlands fourth having solely performed twice.

GK: Mike Maignan – 7/10 – Made a few diving stops and by no means actually appeared like being crushed.

RB: Jules Kounde – 7/10 – Arrived on the sting of 1 cross however could not convert with conviction.

CB: Ibrahima Konate – 8/10 – Took accountability in central defence with Upamecano, shutting the door within the Greek attackers’ faces time and time once more.

CB: Dayot Upamecano – 8/10 – Equally authoritative alongside Konate in a centre again partnership set to face for years.

LB: Theo Hernandez – 7/10 – Objective menace was restricted as each his pictures had been blocked however had little defensively to fret about.

CM: Aurelien Tchouameni – 7/10 – Joyful to show simply previous urgent Greece midfielders.

CM: Eduardo Camavinga – 7/10 – Additionally glorious dribbling in the midst of the park, although he did make a few sloppy fouls.

RW: Kingsley Coman – 6/10 – Solely delivered one correct cross from his 5 makes an attempt and wasn’t too excited by dribbling.

AM: Antoine Griezmann – 7/10 – Scurried round in his deeper function linking play and disrupting any rhythm Greece tried to construct.

LW: Kylian Mbappe – 7/10 – May need dragged France additional clear had some dribble makes an attempt come off. Finally scored from the spot however not at his medical finest.

ST: Randal Kolo Muani – 6/10 – Misplaced the ball slightly too usually in attacking build-up and squandered a number of probabilities in entrance of aim.

Substitutes

Ousmane Dembele (77′ for Coman) – 7/10 – Added extra zest to France’s assault from the bench.

Olivier Giroud (86′ for XX) – N/A

Christopher Nkunku (86′ for Griezmann) – N/A

Supervisor

Didier Deschamps – 6/10 – Could not get a lot attacking fluidity out of his XI and left it late earlier than making adjustments.

GK: Odisseas Vlachodimos (6); RB: George Baldock (7), CB: Konstantinos Mavropanos (5), CB: Pantelis Hatzidiakos (7), LB: Kostas Tsimikas (6); CM: Manolis Siopis (6), CM: Dimitrios Kourbelis (7); RW: Giorgos Masouras (7), AM: Anastasios Bakasetas (6), LW: Petros Mantalos (7); ST: Georgios Giakoumakis (6).

Participant of the match – Dayot Upamecano (France)