France 3 England 2: Ten-man hosts deliver tactical lesson to Southgate's team

Not even the controversial use of video assistant referees could prevent England from succumbing to defeat in their season-ending friendly against France.
England's Dele Alli goes down before England are awarded a penalty during the International at the Stade de France, Paris (Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire).England's Dele Alli goes down before England are awarded a penalty during the International at the Stade de France, Paris (Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire).
England's Dele Alli goes down before England are awarded a penalty during the International at the Stade de France, Paris (Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire).

Touching tributes to the victims of the recent Manchester and London terror attacks made way for a surprisingly entertaining match, with captain Harry Kane opening the scoring early on at the end of a fine Three Lions move.

Samuel Umtiti and Djibril Sidibe turned things around for the hosts before half-time, with Ousmane Dembele wrapping up a deserved win as France made light of Kane’s equaliser and Raphael Varane’s sending-off as VARs were utilised for the first time in an England match.

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The decision at the start of the second half highlighted the issues that need ironing out with the system being trialled by FIFA at selected matches ahead of wider implementation.

Confusion reigned for a minute inside the Stade de France as referee Davide Massa waited to hear from video assistant team of Marco Guida and Massimiliano Irrati, with the penalty compounded by Varane’s controversial red card for bringing down Dele Alli.

On-field bemusement was echoed by the home support, whose frustration would be lifted by their exciting, young side.

Outrageously-talented 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe hit the bar and provided the pass that saw Dembele secure Didier Deschamps’s 10 men victory.

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England’s 3-4-3 formation did not work anywhere near as effectively as in March’s friendly in Germany, leading to an eventual switch to a four-man defence on an evening that gives manager Gareth Southgate plenty to ponder this summer.

The match got under way five minutes late as those killed and injured in the recent attacks in Manchester and London were remembered in Paris.

When attention turned to football, those in attendance bore witness to a superb team goal inside just nine minutes.

Alli’s crossfield ball was controlled by Raheem Sterling, before smartly putting in the overlapping Ryan Bertrand with a superb backheel. The left-back sent in a low cross to the far post for Kane to finish a superb team move – a delicious opener France quickly attempted to cancel out.

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Olivier Giroud’s frustration was visible after an offside call saw his superb acrobatic ‘goal’ cancelled out, before Dembele somehow directed wide after bursting through to latch onto a pass from Mbappe.

They were warning signs Southgate’s men failed to heed.

Giroud was allowed to meet a free-kick with a powerful header that Tom Heaton did well to block. But the Burnley goalkeeper, making his first start, could not stop Umtiti rifling home the loose ball.

Heaton denied Mbappe at his near post as France looked to go ahead, before England belatedly showed some attacking intent as Bertrand was denied by Hugo Lloris.

Eric Dier fired just wide from the resulting corner on a night when the Tottenham midfielder was not giving his defence enough protection.

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France capitalised on England’s fragile defence two minutes before half-time.

Dembele led the charge and played the ball out wide, only for Gary Cahill’s intervention to play it back into his path. Showing great composure, he cut in and got away a shot that Heaton denied, only for France to score another rebound as Sidibe turned in.

Sterling saw a penalty appeal overlooked before half-time, with Kyle Walker and Jack Butland brought on for the second period, which got off to a controversial start.

Alli’s burst into the box ended under pressure from Varane, with referee Massa pointing to the spot and referring to the video assistants.

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Confusion followed at the Stade de France in the minute between awarding the penalty and handing a straight red card to Varane, with Kane then stepping up to beat Tottenham team-mate Lloris from the spot.

Deschamps moved to steady the ship as the sting was temporarily taken out of proceedings as England struggled to make their advantage count.

Butland did well to deny Mbappe before dawdling Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was robbed of possession, allowing the French teenager to unleash a shot that rattled the bar.

Thomas Lemar saw his follow-up hacked off the line and England were punished in the 78th minute.

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Paul Pogba put through Mbappe, whose pass wide was met by a nice touch and low drive from Dembele that beat Butland. The England goalkeeper prevented it getting any worse on a night when Southgate’s side struggled.

France: Lloris, Mendy (Digne 21), Umtiti, Varane, Sidibe (Jallet 89), Lemar, Pogba, Kante, Dembele, Mbappe-Lottin, Giroud (Koscielny 52). Unused substitutes: Areola, Kimpembe, Griezmann, Payet, Matuidi, Rabiot, Sissoko, Lacazette, Tolisso, Zouma, Thauvin, Costil.

England: Heaton (Butland 46), Trippier (Lallana 76), Jones (Cresswell 81), Cahill, Bertrand (Walker 46), Stones, Dier, Sterling, Alli, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kane. Unused substitutes: Gibson, Smalling, Livermore, Defoe, Rashford, Lingard, Forster, Hart.

Referee: D Massa (Imperia).