June 20, (THEWILL) – France overcame a 10-man Greece side in a hard-fought Euro 2024 qualifying match, at Stade de France, on Monday night.
Kylian Mbappe secured the victory for Les Bleus with a second-half penalty. The PSG forward converted the spot-kick after Konstantinos Mavropanos kicked Antoine Griezmann in the face, resulting in the former Arsenal defender being sent off. With Greece’s previous wins against Gibraltar and the Republic of Ireland, France fielded a strong XI, including Mbappe, Kingsley Coman, and Kolo Muani in the attacking lineup.
In the match, Greece initially absorbed French pressure before earning their first corner, which unfortunately did not result in a chance. Kolo Muani missed an opportunity to score when his header went wide from a cross by Antoine Griezmann. Les Bleus continued to press, with Kolo Muani and Lucas Hernandez both having shots blocked. Mbappe’s appeals for three penalties were dismissed by referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz.
Jules Kounde also had a chance to open the scoring but his effort lacked power. Yet, Greece’s hopes of maintaining a clean sheet were dashed when Mavropanos fouled Griezmann in the box, resulting in a penalty. Mbappe’s first attempt was saved, but a retake was awarded due to encroachment, and he made no mistake with his second chance, finding the top corner. Not long after, Mavropanos received his second yellow card and was subsequently sent off.
France now leads Group B by six points, although they have played one more game than Greece and Ireland. The Netherlands currently sits in fourth place, having played only twice.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
