France extended their flawless run in the Euro 2024 qualifiers by securing a 1-0 triumph against Greece. The game, held on June 19, 2023, witnessed Kylian Mbappé’s successful penalty kick sealing the victory for the French squad.
While Mbappé’s initial attempt was saved, he received another opportunity due to a Greek defender’s encroachment. This time, he made no errors and converted the penalty flawlessly.
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Greece’s hopes of staging a comeback diminished further when Konstantinos Mavropanos was shown a red card for fouling Randal Kolo Muani, denying him a clear chance to score. Despite having a numerical advantage, France couldn’t increase their lead.
This triumph over Greece follows France’s convincing 3-0 win against Gibraltar in their previous match. With four games played, France currently leads Group B in the qualifying stage, boasting a perfect record of 12 points without conceding a single goal. They enjoy a comfortable six-point lead over Greece, although the Greek team has played one game fewer.
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Didier Deschamps, the head coach of France, acknowledged the players’ fatigue after a long season but expressed his satisfaction with their performance.
He mentioned that the team has less experience compared to six months ago but highlighted their abundant quality. France’s next qualifying encounter is scheduled against Ireland in September.
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Greece, the 2004 European champions, have displayed signs of improvement under their Uruguayan coach Gustavo Poyet.
Despite facing a challenging match against France, Poyet recognized the significant gap in quality between the two teams and emphasized that his side gained valuable lessons from the game.
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