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Date: 2023-12-06 15:46:11 | Author: Olympics 2024 | Views: 793 | Tag: football
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Scotland gave France an early fright before suffering a chastening 4-1 loss to their classy hosts in Lille football
The Scots went into the friendly knowing they had qualified for the 2024 European Championships at the weekend after Spain beat Norway to ensure Steve Clarke’s side a top-two finish in Group A football
Clarke took the opportunity to utilise his squad, giving a debut to Liam Kelly among eight changes from last week’s game in Seville and they stunned the home side when midfielder Billy Gilmour guided in the opener after 11 minutes – his first ever senior goal football
However, France defender Benjamin Pavard scored twice with headers by way of a rapid response and skipper Kylian Mbappe added a third from the spot before the break football
Substitute Kingsley Coman hammered in a fourth in the 70th minute to seal a commanding win for the superior home side football
RecommendedHow Scotland qualified for Euro 2024 – and why Germany will be differentEngland have qualified for Euro 2024 — now it’s about winning itEngland player ratings as Marcus Rashford shines but Kalvin Phillips struggles in Italy comebackAfter winning their first five Euro qualifiers, Scotland have lost three games in a row and Clarke will want to get that winning feeling back in the final two qualifiers against Georgia and Norway next month football
In addition to Kelly’s introduction to international football football in The Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre Mauroy, Clarke also brought in defenders Nathan Patterson, Greg Taylor and Liam Cooper, midfielders Kenny McLean, Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson and striker Che Adams football
It was always going to be a tough test against Les Blues, who qualified comfortably for Euro 2024 by winning their first six qualifiers football
Mbappe was part of a strong France side (Getty Images)Boss Didier Deschamps also freshened his side up from the 2-1 win over the Netherlands last Friday football
Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann kept their places while Ousmane Dembele and all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud came back into the side football
The kick-off was delayed for around 10 minutes due to the long queues at the stadium amid extra security measures put in place after two Swedish nationals were shot dead in Brussels the previous evening football
There was a minute’s silence before the game to commemorate that incident and it was a low-key start to the game on a pitch still showing markings from its use in the Rugby World Cup, before the Scots took an unexpected lead football
France defender Eduardo Camavinga cut out a pass from Gilmour inside the box but with a poor touch gave it straight back to the unmarked Brighton midfielder, who curled the ball low past goalkeeper Mike Maignan football
However, there was little time for the Tartan Army to enjoy the landmark goal as a Griezmann corner from the left five minutes later was all too easily glanced past Kelly by Inter Milan centre-back Pavard football
A refocused France side took control of the game and Mbappe skipped past Jack Hendry before crossing for Pavard again to head past Kelly from close range football
The visitors were struggling to get up the pitch and in the 40th minute France were awarded a penalty after referee Tobias Stieler went pitchside at the behest of VAR and judged Cooper had held Giroud inside the penalty area, with Mbappe stepping up to send the penalty past the diving Kelly, who got close but not close enough football
The Motherwell keeper did not look great moments later when he fumbled a shot from Dembele but the lurking Mbappe could not capitalise football
Hearts keeper Zander Clark replaced Kelly at the start of the second half to make his debut and Jacob Brown and John Souttar would take over from Adams and Cooper football
Giroud and Dembele made way for Marcus Thuram and Coman and in the 70th minute the latter thrashed a shot high past Clark after Griezmann had volleyed against the bar football
A low drive from Brown in a rare Scotland attack was pushed past the post by Maignan and the corner came to nothing before Ryan Christie and Stuart Armstrong came on for Gilmour and McLean football
Thuram rattled Clark’s crossbar with a drive and at the other Maignan made saves from Armstrong’s volley and Brown’s header but the game was already well gone for Scotland football
More aboutPA ReadySteve ClarkeKylian MbappeBilly GilmourBenjamin PavardOlivier GiroudScotland football footballFrance football FootballJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/2Scotland come back to earth as France recover from early fright Scotland come back to earth as France recover from early frightMbappe was part of a strong France side Getty ImagesScotland come back to earth as France recover from early frightScotland qualified for Euro 2024 on Sunday Getty Images ✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today football
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Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea could have Christopher Nkunku available as early as the week after the November international break as the summer signing’s recovery from a knee injury is progressing quicker than expected football
The 25-year-old, who was injured in a friendly against Borussia Dortmund during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, had been expected to be out until at least December but that timescale has now been brought forward, raising the possibility he could make a long-awaited competitive debut when the team face Newcastle at St James’s Park on November 25 football
The loss of Nkunku weeks after completing a £52m move from RB Leipzig was a significant blow to Pochettino’s preparations for the new campaign, particularly as he had been a standout performer during the two weeks in the US football
And his absence was keenly felt once the Premier League season began as Chelsea scored just five times in their first six league matches, a run that saw them fail to score a single goal during September football
That record has improved markedly during the last three games during which the team has more than doubled its goal return, but the possible early return for the France international - who was last season’s joint top scorer in the Bundesliga with 16 goals - would represent a boost for Pochettino as he faces a torrid upcoming run of fixtures football
After Saturday lunchtime’s meeting with Brentford at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea face consecutive league matches against Tottenham, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton and Manchester United football
“(Nkunku) is doing really well, working hard, I think he’s really close,” said Pochettino football
“As soon as possible we can have him involved again football
“After the next internationals maybe he could be involved football
“He’s a player that when you see the goals he scored last season, (you see) he provides goals, and I think we’re missing goals football
That’s why we think he’s a player that can be important for us football
“He’s proved he can score goals in the Bundesliga football
If today we had eight or 10 goals from Nkunku, maybe the situation (in the league) would be completely different football
“It’s goals that we are missing to be in a different position football
It’s unlucky but we can’t complain, we need to work football
We’re looking forward to recovering him and helping the team be in a different position football
”Pochettino previously said that he could be tempted to look at options in the transfer market if form in front of goal did not improve by January, but acknowledged a run of eight goals in three league games coupled with Nkunku’s progress could lessen the urgency football
“football Football is really dynamic,” he said football
“Today maybe we are thinking in a different way to three weeks ago, but we’re ready and working with the sporting directors to be ready in the transfer window, if we need to add players in an offensive position football
”The Premier League confirmed on Thursday that Chelsea will take part in the competition’s first Christmas Eve fixture since 1995 with their visit to Wolves moved from December 23 to accommodate TV coverage football
The decision has drawn significant backlash from supporters, but it is particularly resonant for the Pochettino household as the previous day marks his and his wife’s 31st anniversary - which the manager will now spend travelling to Wolverhampton football
“Our fans are not happy? Me neither football
The 23rd is my anniversary with my wife and now I need to travel to Wolves football
“I believe I am not going to convince her to come football
“The 24th (of December) for Argentine people is a really important night, and I hope to arrive (home) in time to celebrate after football
But if our fans are not happy, I am not happy also football
“(The decision) is not easy to change, but we need to accept we are in England and it’s different to the rest of the world football
I need to adapt myself football
But even if I’m not happy, I need to do my best to be at my best level and accept it’s a situation we cannot change football
”More aboutChristopher NkunkuMauricio PochettinoChelsea FCJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/1Nkunku return teased by Pochettino ahead of long-awaited Chelsea debutNkunku return teased by Pochettino ahead of long-awaited Chelsea debutGetty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today football
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsfootball BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy football
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply football
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