Captain Mbappe on target as stylish France thrash Netherlands

Paris, March 24 (BNA): France’s new captain, Kylian Mbappe, lived up to expectations by scoring two goals in the match in which the Dutch national team won 4-0 at home, as the French national team began its qualifiers for Euro 2024 on Friday.

Mbappe, dubbed captain after goalkeeper Hugo Lloris ended his international career in January, qualified Antoine Griezmann for the opener before scoring the third, after Dayot Upamecano doubled the lead in the first half, before wrapping up the scoring late in front of goal. . An ecstatic crowd, Reuters reported.

With Lloris and influential full-back Raphael Varane now out of the international picture, France were aiming to impress in their first game since losing the World Cup final to Argentina on penalties in December and did just that against a virus-stricken Dutch side under their new captaincy. Designated Director.

The result was a slap in the face for Ronald Koeman, who was in charge of his first match since taking charge from Louis van Gaal, after the Orange reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, in his second mission after the first period of 2018-2020.

France leads Group Two ahead of Greece, which beat Gibraltar 3-0 away from home. Didier Deschamps’ team meets Ireland in Dublin on Monday while the Netherlands host Gibraltar.

The Dutch, who lost five players after the team went viral, got off to a woeful start as the Blues broke the deadlock two minutes later and Griezmann finished off a fine move in style with a curling shot from Mbappe’s cross inside the area. .

The visiting defense then dinnered the dog with a Griezmann free-kick and Upamecano fired the ball into the net to double the advantage in the eighth minute.

Mbappe made it 3-0 after 22 minutes, firing the ball from close range in clinical fashion after being kicked in by Aurelien Tchoameni.

The Netherlands threatened briefly in the second half, but Memphis Depay’s effort went wide as Koeman sent striker Wott Weghorst on for midfielder Kenneth Taylor in the 33rd minute.

France came close again when Ibrahima Konate’s header was fouled by Jasper Cillessen nine minutes before half-time.

The Dutch had a chance early in the second half from a Depay free-kick, but that came as close as Upamecano and Konate rallied the French centre-back.

Randall Kolo-Mwane, who started as the lone striker in France’s 4-3-3 formation, produced a fine display until he was substituted by Olivier Giroud in the 76th minute.

Then France made things easier before traveling to Dublin, but Mbappe threw salt in the Netherlands’ wounds, dancing his way into the area before firing a powerful shot for the fourth goal and his 38th in 67 matches.

Mike Minnan, the number one goalkeeper since Lloris retired, Depay saved a stoppage-time penalty, leaving fans wondering what it might have been if he had been between the posts in the World Cup final – a tournament he missed through injury.

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