MADRID, 19 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The teams of France and England remained solid leaders of their respective groups in the qualifying phase for the Euro 2024 in Germany after beating Greece (1-0) and North Macedonia (7-0), respectively, on Monday.
At the Stade de France, the current runner-up in the world could only win by the minimum and on penalties against their theoretical main rival in Group B, which they already double in points (12-6), with one more game, after a duel with a record for Kylian Mbappé, dominated from start to finish by Didier Deschamps’ men and which meant the end of arbitration for the Spanish Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz.
The ‘Bleus’ collided with the visiting team, who knew how to counteract the greatest offensive talent of the locals, who failed to get the prize for their best game and opportunities until the start of the second half when the Valencian referee signaled a kick to the head as a penalty of Mavropanos on Antoine Griezmann, who left the Atlético de Madrid player bloody.
Vachlodimos, firm until then, was able to stop Mbappé’s maximum penalty, but it had to be repeated and the PSG forward did not forgive this time to score his 40th goal with his team and 54th of the season, a new record for a French player beating the late Just Fontaine, his federation reported.
Subsequently, Greece was left with 10 for the final stretch due to the expulsion of Mavropanos, but despite their inferiority they managed not to concede anymore and increase the suspense in Paris until the end of the added length decreed by Mateu Lahoz. In the other group game, the Republic of Ireland beat Gibraltar 3-0 to pick up their first three points.
England also maintains its full number of points in Group C after beating a discreet North Macedonia 7-0, completely erased by the locals at the Old Trafford Stadium and with Bukayo Saka taking center stage.
The Arsenal player grabbed the spotlight thanks to a hat-trick in a duel dominated from start to finish by Gareth Southgate’s men, who took half an hour to open the scoring through captain Harry Kane, author of a brace. Marcus Rashoford and Kalvin Phillips completed the rout.
England is left with 12 points, six ahead of Ukraine, who have one game less and who beat modest Malta 1-0 with much suffering, with a goal from Girona striker Victor Tsygankov in the final stretch of the match. Italy, with only two games, is third after not playing this ‘window’ due to their participation in the ‘Final Four’ of the League of Nations.
In the I, Switzerland left their first points by drawing at home (2-2) with Romania although they dominated 2-0 at halftime with a double from Amdouni, offset by another from Vihaila in 89 and 92 that left his team to a point of the leadership of the Swiss. Three is Israel, who beat Andorra 2-1, the same result with which Belarus defeated Kosovo.
In Group H they lead with nine points Finland, who thrashed San Marino 6-0 with a hat trick from Hakans, and Kazakhstan, who took three points in the 89th minute on their visit to Northern Ireland with a goal from Aymbetov, while with Seven are left by Denmark and Slovenia, who drew a 1-1 draw on Slovenian soil. Finally, in Group D, Turkey consolidated its leadership by defeating Wales 2-0, with a three-point advantage over Armenia, which beat Latvia 2-1 with a goal from Barseghyan’s added penalty.