FRANCE 3, ENGLAND 2
Gareth Southgate will have learned a considerable amount about his young England side following their defeat to France in Paris.
England played their part in an enthralling friendly at Stade de France – there won’t be many more entertaining international fixtures.
England looked good going forward with Harry Kane scoring twice and looking every inch a top international player.
But at the opposite end of the field, England’s defensive shortcomings were exposed by a French side that was had Antoine Griezmann an unused substitute.
They scored three goals from Samuel Umtiti, Djibril Sidibe and Ousmane Dembele and looked a class act, even playing with 10 men for most of the second half after Raphael Varane’s sending off.
But in Kylian Mbappe – the 18-year-old Manchester City knew plenty about after their Champions League exit to Monaco – and Borussia Dortmund’s Dembele, aged 20, they have two jewels.
They tore England’s defence to shreds at time and put your money on France winning a major championship in the not-too-distant future if these two jewels keep producing.
And Kane, England’s captain for a second time, admitted his side got what they deserved – nothing.
He said: Scoring two goals away in France should be good enough. We have to find a way to win that, especially when they went down to 10 men.
“We just weren’t good enough. They were getting too much space in vital areas, even with 10 men.
“It is disappointing. We got it back to 2-2 and, then with them having 10 men, we were in the driving seat, but we didn’t step up another gear and they seemed to get a second wind.
“We will have to look back and see why, but it wasn’t good enough.”
Southgate used the friendly to experiment after Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Scotland.
There was a first cap for Tottenham’s Kieran Trippier, half brother of former Oldham Athletic player Kelvin Lomax, and a first full cap for Burnley keeper Tom Heaton. Stoke’s Jack Butland had been widely tipped to replace City’s Joe Hart.
Southgate made six changes from Saturday with the survivors former Latics’ loanee Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Kane who was captaining the side for the second time.
Joining Heaton and Trippier in the side were Manchester United’s Phil Jones, City’s John Stones and Raheem Sterling and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who came off the bench to score England’s opening goal against the Scots.
France included Premier League stars Hugo Lloris, N’golo Kante, Paul Pogba and Olivier Giroud in their starting line up.
There was an emotional show of solidarity before kick off in the wake of terrorist attacks in Manchester and London – remember it was not long ago France suffered similar atrocities.
There was a playing of the Oasis hit ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ before kick off. The national anthems of both nations were afforded a respect seldom witnessed these days and the players lined up around the centre circle for one minute’s silence standing shoulder to shoulder with their opponents.
It was also a special night as it was the first England match in which a video assistant referee – VAR – officiated. And Marco Guida was called into action once to confirm a penalty and sending off.
England made a dream start taking a ninth minute lead through Kane who, after not scoring for six internationals, made it two in two.
A terrific build up involving Alli, Sterling whose cheeky back heel released Bertrand whose left low wing cross was turned in at the far post by Kane from four yards.
France equalised midway through the opening half, but there had already been warning signs as Giroud had a goal disallowed for offside and Dembele fired wide when clean through on goal.
Th equaliser came following a free kick. Giroud’s header was well pushed away by Heaton but only as far as Barcelona’s Umtiti who fired in the rebound.
Monaco’s starlet Mbappe forced a decent save from Heaton while at the opposite end Bertrand tested Lloris while Dier fired narrowly wide.
France went ahead two minutes before the break after Borussia Dortmund’s exciting youngster Dembele wriggled free after showing amazing footwork. His shot was pushed out by Heaton but Monaco’s Sidibe slotted home the loose ball.
England made two changes at the break as Heaton and Bertrand were replaced by Butland and Kyle Walker.
England made it 2-2 less than two minutes after the restart when they won a penalty that was confirmed on appeal to the video assistant referee.
Alli burst through only to be brought down by Varane – Guida confirmed the spot kick and dismissal of the Real Madrid defender – and Kane slotted a low spot kick past his Spurs’ team mate Lloris, sending him the wrong way from the spot, his eighth goal for England im 19 internationals.
England found themselves under the cosh midway through the half when Butland saved bravely at the feet on Mbappe who them struck the bar after again cutting through the visiting defence. Thomas Lemar, following up, was denied by Butland.
Southgate made a third change with Trippier replaced by Adam Lallana in the 76th minute.
And France’s two prodigious striking talents combined to set up their winner 12 minutes from time as Mbappe square a pass for Debele to drill home low to the right of Butland.
Aaron Cresswell came on for Jones as Southgate made a fourth change,
France almost added a fourth goal deep into stoppage time following the move of the match.
Dembele made an electrifying forward burst before a slide-rule pass released Mbappe whose whose shot was saved by the legs of Butland as England escaped with a one-goal defeat that could have been heavier as France produced a scintillating show in the second period, even with 10 men.