France made light work of Armenia as the Euro 2016 hosts eased to a 4-0 victory in their clash at the Allianz Riviera.
Antoine Griezmann raced onto Karim Benzema's pass and fired through the keeper's legs to open the scoring in the first half.
Yohan Cabaye then doubled the home side's lead with a powerful strike from the edge of the box after being set up by Mathieu Valbuena.
Karim Benzema added a third with a powerful header, before the Real Madrid striker latched onto Anthony Martial's flick and slotted into the corner to wrap up the win.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
Good evening everyone! Over the coming days a number of teams will book their places at next summer's European Championship which is due to take place in France. Of course, the hosts are already assured of their spot at the tournament, and they will continue their preparations tonight with a clash against Armenia in Nice.
With eight months to go until Euro 2016 kicks off, the pressure is certainly on France to get things right and head into the tournament in top form. They have had a mixed set of results over the past year, but they come into today's match hoping for a third successive victory.
One team who will not be in France next summer are Armenia, who have endured a tough qualifying campaign. They have failed to win any of their matches in Group I and have only picked up two points, with their final match against Albania to come on Sunday. Right, the teams news has arrived, so let's take a look at who will be starting this evening...
FRANCE XI: Lloris, Sagna, Varane, Sakho, Evra, Cabaye, Diarra, Matuidi, Valbuena, Griezmann, Benzema
ARMENIA XI: Kasparov, Andonian, Voskanyan, Hovhannisyan, Hambartsumyan, Hayrapetyan, Mkrtchyan Ghazaryan, Yuspashyan, Mkhitaryan, Sarkisov
That's how the two nations are looking this evening. As you can see France have chosen Karim Benzema to lead the line, with Mathieu Valbuena and Antoine Griezmann joining him in the attack. Further back in the midfield, Blaise Matuidi will be hoping to add to his recent double against Serbia, while there are also starts for Yohan Cabaye and Lassana Diarra, who has been in fine form for Marseille.
There is plenty of experience at the back for France, with the likes of Hugo Lloris, Patrice Evra and Bacary Sagna starting, while Mamadou Sakho and Raphael Varane are chosen as the centre back pairing. However, there is no place for Paul Pogba, who has withdrawn from the squad with an ankle injury. Meanwhile, the main threat from the visitors will come from captain Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who has already scored nine goals for Borussia Dortmund this season.
As I mentioned earlier, France's form since the World Cup has been rather mixed. They have recorded victories over the likes of Spain and Portugal, but have also suffered defeats to Brazil, Belgium and Albania.
They are currently rated as the second favourites to win the championship next summer, with only world champions Germany ahead of them. However, that could be because only England, Czech Republic and Iceland have qualified so far, with a whole host of big nations expected to join them in the next few days.
Armenia will have to watch all the action from home next summer, but they haven't been embarrassed in this qualifying campaign. They have achieved promising draws against Serbia and Denmark, while they have narrowly lost twice to Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick in their last meeting in June which ended in a 3-2 defeat.
These teams last played each other in Yerevan almost a year ago, and it was France who ran out winners. Loic Remy, Andre-Pierre Gignac and Antoine Griezmann all found the net in a 3-0 victory to make it four straight wins for the French over their opponents.
KICKOFF! We are underway at the Allianz Riviera!
Armenia are looking very nervous in the opening minutes and they have already given the ball away cheaply deep inside their own half on more than one occasion. It will give France plenty of encouragement, as they look for a quick goal this evening.
SHOT! France are playing some fine stuff here and Benzema is slipped into the box, before pulling it back to Valbuena. The midfielder is being closed down quickly so he lays it off for Cabaye to hit, but the Palace man's effort is well blocked and ends up looping over the bar.
It's all France at the moment and their midfielders are combining brilliantly in their opponents' half of the pitch. They are finding plenty of space down the wings and Valbuena has been involved in all of their best moves.
CHANCE! More fine play by France down the wing sees Evra's cross turned towards his own goal by Hayrapetian, but the keeper tips it over. Then, from the resulting corner, Sakho arrives to power in a header, but he can only direct the ball over the bar.
PENALTY APPEAL! France have already won four corners and from the latest set piece Evra goes down inside the box under pressure from Yuspashyan. There was slight contact from the Armenian defender, but not enough to make Evra go down so easily.
SHOT! First chance of the game for the visitors, who break quickly after France lose the ball cheaply. It is Hovhannisyan who gets a shot away from the edge of the box, but his effort lacks any power and is easily claimed by Lloris.
Despite France's control of the match, they have been guilty of giving away possession poorly in the past few minutes. It is sure to give Armenia plenty of hope that they may get something from tonight's match.
CHANCE! What a huge chance this is for the visitors to score. They break quickly once again with Mkrtchyan slipped in down the left. He then pulls it across the face of goal for Sarkisov at the back post, but the ball is just too far ahead of him, and he can't quite stretch enough to get a decisive touch.
YELLOW CARD! Hambartsumyan picks up the first booking of the match for the visitors.
It's been a while since France have put together a flowing team move, but after a spell of possession Griezmann bursts onto Benzema's inch-perfect through ball. He then sees his low drive well saved by the keeper, but even if he had scored it wouldn't have been given, as he was standing just beyond the last man.
Armenia have looked so dangerous on the counter attack and they are almost in again when France fail to cut out a cross from the left. For a moment it seems that Mkhitaryan will get on the end of it, but Lloris reads the situation well and rushes of his line to hammer the ball clear.
The visitors must be delighted at how things have gone for them so far this evening, as I'm sure many would have expected them to be behind by now. They haven't seen too much of the ball, but when they have been in possession they have certainly posed a threat.
SHOT! Benzema hasn't caused too many problems for the visitors, but he shows his threat here when he cuts inside from the left. It opens up for him, so he decides to fire in a low strike, but it is hit straight at Kasparov, who gets down and makes a comfortable save.
SAVE! Kasparov has to make a more difficult save as Evra drills a low shot towards his near post. There wasn't too much power behind the strike, but it bounced up nastily off the turf and forced the keeper to palm the ball behind for a corner.
GOAL! France 1-0 Armenia (Antoine Griezmann)
Armenia have had a good first half, but a poor giveaway in the midfield has cost them a goal. They lose it cheaply, with Griezmann exchanging passes with Benzema and bursting into the box. The Atletico Madrid man then holds his nerve and drills in a low strike which goes under the legs of Kasparov before nestling in the back of the net.
That goal has lifted the crowd and it will surely settle the home players as we approach the break. They are also nearly in again, as Matuidi's run is blocked off Hambartsumyan, who is perhaps lucky to avoid a second booking.
YELLOW CARD! Sakho is the first French player to be booked by the referee this evening for a foul on Sarkisov.
SHOT! Armenia have got into some promising areas in this first half, but their decision making has been poor. This time Yuspashyan is found in space just outside the box, but instead of trying to find any teammates, he fires a poor effort wildly over the bar.
HALF-TIME: France 1-0 Armenia
The whistle blows for half time and it's France who are leading against Armenia in tonight's friendly. A clinical finish from Antoine Griezmann is what separates the sides, as Les Bleus close in on third successive victory.
© Getty Images
France have been the more dominant of the two teams and they enjoyed 58% of the possession in the opening 45 minutes. They also had 11 shots on goal, compared to four from the visitors, but they have looked vulnerable on the counter attack.
There are sure to be plenty of changes made by each manager in the second half, and there are some very interesting options on the France bench. Anthony Martial will be hoping to score his first international goal, having netted four times for Manchester United this season, while Olivier Giroud will look to win the home fans over, after he was booed during last month's match against Serbia.
RESTART! Armenia take the kick off for the second half and get the match back underway.
The match has yet to spark into life since the break, with both teams having spells on the ball. The home fans will want to see their team step it up a gear, as they seem happy quite content to play the ball around at the back instead of pressing forward.
Following a slow start to the half, France burst into life with Sagna racing clear down the right. He then whips in a cross which is turned behind for a corner by Andonian, but the hosts are unable to make anything of the resulting set piece.
Benzema is denied a spectacular goal as he shapes for an overhead kick from Valbuena's cross. However, Ghazaryan is back to make a crucial block and prevent his team from falling further behind.
SUB! Armenia make their first change of the match with Ozbiliz coming on for Sarkisov.
GOAL! France 2-0 Armenia (Yohan Cabaye)
France double their lead thanks to a superbly taken goal from Cabaye. The Palace midfielder is found on the edge of the box by Valbuena, before firing a great strike into the far corner that leaves the keeper helpless.
CHANCE! The hosts are looking for another goal and they almost get it when Benzema meets a low cross from Valbuena at the front post and turns the ball goalwards. He looks favourite to score, but Kasparov gets across brilliantly to make the save from point-blank range.
SUBS! The visitors are making two more changes, as Pizzeli and Pogosyan are coming on for Mkhitaryan and Hovhannisyan.
SUBS! France make their first changes of the night, as Martial and Schneiderlin are on for Valbuena and Matuidi.
SHOT! This would have been a stunning goal by Diarra on his return to international action. He collects a loose ball on the edge of the box from a corner and fires in a powerful drive, but it was always rising and goes harmlessly over the bar.
SUB! It's another change for the visitors, as Aslanyan replaces Ghazaryan.
YELLOW CARD! Schneiderlin has only been on the pitch for a few minutes, but he picks up a booking for a late challenge.
SUB! Armenia make another change with Manojan taking Hambardzumyan's place on the pitch.
Griezmann and Benzema have linked up well this evening and the Real Madrid man is almost onto his teammate's pass as he bursts into the box. However, the final ball is slightly ahead of him and Kasparov comes quickly off his line to claim and cut out the attack.
Armenia haven't quite been able to replicate their first-half display and they have barely posed a threat to the French defence. They have sat back far too deep and have invited pressure onto their backline, while the changes they have made have not helped.
SUB! Sissoko is being brought on for France, with Cabaye the man to make way.
GOAL! France 3-0 Armenia (Karim Benzema)
It's turning into a very good night for France, as Benzema grabs their third goal of the match. The Real Madrid striker rises highest inside the box to meet Griezmann's corner, before powering in a firm header to end his run without a goal for the national side.
GOAL! France 4-0 Armenia (Karim Benzema)
Benzema is back among the goals for France as he quickly nets his second of the night. He is given far too much space to burst through the middle and onto Martial's neat flick, before holding his nerve to slide a low effort into the bottom corner and past Kasparov.
SUB! Benzema looks to have picked up a knock and he is replaced by Giroud. He did seem to be in pain as he ran through and scored, and France have taken no chances with his fitness.
CHANCE! Griezmann almost wraps things up for France with a stunning attempt. Kasparov gives it away horribly on the edge of the box with the Atletico player picking up the loose ball. He then tries to chip an effort into the far corner, but the ball drops agonizingly wide of the post, much to the relief of the keeper.
This result will do the world of good for France, who haven't always been at their best this evening. They were given a stern test by Armenia in the first half, but the visitors have struggled badly since the break.
SUB! A huge round of applause rings out around the stadium for Griezmann as he heads off to be replaced by Lacazette.
SAVE! Giroud nearly adds his name to the scoresheet as he latches onto a loose ball inside the box and fires in a powerful strike. However, Kasparov is quickly off his line to make the block and stop the Arsenal striker from adding to his country's lead.
There are going to be just two minutes of stoppage time.
FULL-TIME: France 4-0 Armenia
A very good night's work comes to an end for France, who have ran out comfortable 4-0 winners over Armenia. Antoine Griezmann and Yohan Cabaye set them on their way, before a late double from Karim Benzema helped to seal a morale-boosting victory for Didier Deschamps side.
© Getty Images
That's just about all we've got time for from the French Riviera this evening. Make sure you stick with us over the next week for all of the international action, as the race to qualify for Euro 2016 heats up. Until next time, goodbye!
Written by
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers
