Argentina found themselves just 10 minutes from glory. Kylian Mbappe scored twice in 97 seconds to equalise. Lionel Messi made it 3-2 in extra-time, yet his club teammate completed his hat-trick from the spot during a frantic finish. Into a penalty shootout they went and Sevilla fullback Gonzalo Montiel had the final say: sending Hugo Lloris the wrong way, finishing a remarkable World Cup Final with a dramatic win over the defending champions last night. Continue reading “Argentina 3-3 France (4-2 on pens): Montiel ends frenzied final in shootout after Mbappe hat-trick”
Tag: Hugo Lloris
France 2-1 England: Giroud the matchwinner as Kane’s penalty miss sends Southgate’s men out
For all the talk of focusing on defending against the brilliance of Kylian Mbappe, it was France’s all-time top goalscorer Olivier Giroud – who spent nine years playing in England’s top-tier – delivering the final blow as Gareth Southgate’s men showed spirit but ultimately crashed out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage with a jarring 2-1 defeat by the defending champions. Continue reading “France 2-1 England: Giroud the matchwinner as Kane’s penalty miss sends Southgate’s men out”
France 3-1 Poland: Giroud breaks all-time record, Mbappe’s second-half brace puts Poles to the sword
Olivier Giroud surpassed Thierry Henry to top the all-time goalscoring charts for France, scoring against a former teammate in goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny no less, before Kylian Mbappe’s second-half brace ended Poland’s fading hopes of a late comeback. Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski scored a retaken penalty late, on what could be his last World Cup appearance. Continue reading “France 3-1 Poland: Giroud breaks all-time record, Mbappe’s second-half brace puts Poles to the sword”
France 4-1 Australia: World champions rally from early scare to earn big win in World Cup opener
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Four of the last five World Cup winners have gone on to crash out in the group stages at the subsequent tournament, a statistic beginning with France themselves back in 2002. For a 20-minute spell in their Group D opener against Australia, you could be forgiven for thinking history would repeat itself. Now though, they’ll be expecting to build on a display highlighting some strengths while lluminating weaknesses with tougher challenges in the days to come.
Continue reading “France 4-1 Australia: World champions rally from early scare to earn big win in World Cup opener”
Spain 1-2 France: Les Bleus seal Nations League title the hard way after nailbiting finish
World champions France recovered from another deficit, for the second time in four days, to be crowned the 2021 UEFA Nations League champions with a 2-1 win over Euro 2020 semi-finalists Spain. Just like their comeback win over Belgium, goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe saw them storm ahead in a frenetic second-half packed with chances for both sides. Continue reading “Spain 1-2 France: Les Bleus seal Nations League title the hard way after nailbiting finish”
Belgium 2-3 France: Benzema, Mbappe key as Les Bleus earn second-half comeback win
In a week where he addressed the Real Madrid rumours and mother Fayza provided an update on her son’s future, Kylian Mbappe produced his best display since May to help propel France into the UEFA Nations League Final, where they play Euro 2020 semi-finalists Spain on Sunday.
Continue reading “Belgium 2-3 France: Benzema, Mbappe key as Les Bleus earn second-half comeback win”
Ajax’s Andre Onana reveals time has come to ‘take a step’, amid reported interest
Andre Onana has confirmed his desire to leave Ajax this summer, revealing he is ready to ‘take a step’, following speculation surrounding a potential Barcelona return while Premier League interest continues from two London clubs. Continue reading “Ajax’s Andre Onana reveals time has come to ‘take a step’, amid reported interest”
3 players who have disappointed for Tottenham so far this season
Tottenham have struggled to start 2019/20, prompting suggestions they have reached their collective peak after four seasons of failed title pursuits and missed silverware opportunities. However, who in particular has struggled this term? Continue reading “3 players who have disappointed for Tottenham so far this season”
3 reasons why Arsenal drew 2-2 with Tottenham
Arsenal recovered from two goals down to earn a hard-fought point against Tottenham during a frenetic north London derby. Goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang salvaged an important point for Unai Emery’s men ahead of the international break, after Christian Eriksen and a Harry Kane penalty gifted Spurs a 2-0 cushion. Continue reading “3 reasons why Arsenal drew 2-2 with Tottenham”
VAR and a selective problem that needs resolving
The introduction of VAR in this season’s Premier League has already manifested itself into a huge talking point and despite many being against using the technology, there’s only one big problem: its selective use during match-defining moments. Continue reading “VAR and a selective problem that needs resolving”
Manchester City 4-3 Tottenham: 5 Hits and Flops
Manchester City’s quadruple hopes ended in dramatic fashion on Wednesday night, as Raheem Sterling’s stoppage-time winner was correctly ruled as offside after VAR review – meaning Tottenham have progressed into the Champions League semi-finals on away goals rule despite a 4-3 defeat at the Ethiad. Continue reading “Manchester City 4-3 Tottenham: 5 Hits and Flops”
Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City: Son’s strike sinks lacklustre Citizens
Heung Min-Son’s 18th goal of the campaign was enough as Tottenham earned a valuable but slender one-goal advantage against a lacklustre Manchester City display during the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
Continue reading “Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City: Son’s strike sinks lacklustre Citizens”