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France national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Sep 7, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Albania national football team

4-1

Coman (8', 68'), Giroud (27'), Ikone (85')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Cikalleshi (90' pen.)

Kingsley Coman bags a brace as France put four past Albania

Kingsley Coman bags a brace as France put four past Albania
© Reuters
Their superior goal difference - four better than Turkey's and nine better than Iceland's - is what is keeping the world champions in first place.

A weakened France side scored four goals for the fourth time in five Euro 2020 qualifiers as the Group H leaders swept aside Albania 4-1.

Their superior goal difference – four better than Turkey's and nine better than Iceland's – is what is keeping the world champions in first place as all three teams are level on 12 points.

Even without the injured Paul Pogba, and with Kylian Mbappe watching from the stands, there was little concern for the hosts as Kingsley Coman scored twice, with Chelsea's Olivier Giroud and debutant Jonathan Ikone also on target.

In fact the biggest issue of the night up until the minute Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris conceded a 90th-minute penalty from which Sokol Cikalleshi scored, came before kick-off.

The start of the match was delayed by seven minutes as the Stade de France public address system played the national anthem of Andorra – visitors next week – and Albania refused to begin until the error was rectified.

If that angered the visitors it did not manifest itself on the pitch as they were cut apart inside eight minutes when Raphael Varane slid a pass down the channel between centre-backs Mergim Mavraj and Berat Djimsiti and Coman cut in from the right to score at the near post.

Giroud missed a close-range header but his goal was not long in coming as another Varane pass, this time crossfield, was flicked on by Antoine Griezmann for Lucas Hernandez to tee up the Chelsea striker.

Griezmann blasted a 36th-minute penalty against the crossbar after Mavraj brought down Hernandez and the Barcelona forward was denied by the goalkeeper's legs after half-time after starting and finishing an intricate move on the edge of the penalty area.

He did, however, provide the cross for Coman to spin his marker Elseid Hysaj and convert his second.

Five minutes from time Ikone exchanged passes with fellow substitute Nabil Fekir to make it four before Lloris' rush of blood saw Albania score a consolation.

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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain870121
Q Scotland flag Scotland852117
3 Norway Norway832311
4 Georgia Georgia82248
5 Cyprus Cyprus80080

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France871022
Q Netherlands Netherlands860218
3 Greece Greece841313
4 Ireland Rep. Ireland82066
5 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar80080

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England862020
Q Italy Italy842214
3 Ukraine Ukraine842214
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia82248
5 Malta flag Malta80080

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Turkey Turkey852117
Q Croatia Croatia851216
3 Wales flag Wales833212
4 Armenia Armenia82248
5 Latvia Latvia81073

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Albania national flag Albania843115
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic843115
3 Poland Poland832311
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova824210
5 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands80262

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Belgium Belgium862020
Q Austria Austria861119
3 Sweden Sweden831410
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan82157
5 Estonia Estonia80171

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Hungary Hungary853018
Q Serbia Serbia842214
3 Montenegro Montenegro832311
4 Lithuania Lithuania81346
5 Bulgaria Bulgaria80444

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Denmark Denmark1071222
Q Slovenia Slovenia1071222
3 Finland Finland1060418
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan1060418
5 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland103079
6 San Marino flag San Marino1000100

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania1064022
Q Switzerland Switzerland1045117
3 Israel Israel1043315
4 Belarus Belarus1033412
5 Kosovo flag Kosovo1025311
6 Andorra flag Andorra100282

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal10100030
Q Slovakia Slovakia1071222
3 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1052317
4 Iceland Iceland1031610
5 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina103079
6 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1000100


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