The French team made short work of the modest Gibraltar team (14-0) on Saturday in Nice, including a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé and the first goal in Blue from Warren Zaire-Emery. She will be seeded in the Euro 2024 draw on December 2.
So it was the French promenade. The Blues scattered Gibraltar (14-0), Saturday November 18, at the Allianz Riviera in Nice and fulfilled their evening objective: to win this match to finish among the top five in these qualifiers and ensure they are seeded in the Euro 2024 draw on December 2. Because this mission seemed too simple against this very weak team from Gibraltar, 198th in the FIFA rankings, the Blues fulfilled another: securing the biggest victory in their history.
The record dated from September 1995 against Azerbaijan (10-0), in Auxerre, and was therefore largely beaten on a cool November evening in Nice. After the tenth goal scored by Ousmane Dembélé (73rd), who entered the game, Allianz Riviera only waited 70 seconds for the record goal, scored by Kylian Mbappé (74th). The latter notably delighted the Nice public by scoring his hat-trick on a 40-meter lob (82nd), placing him alone as the third best scorer for the Blues with 46 goals.
Zaire-Emery scorer then injured
Before it ended in apotheosis, the evening started perfectly after three minutes of play and the own goal from Ethan Santos (3rd). The beginning of the ordeal for the defender and his teammates. In the first leg, in June, the Blues also scored after three minutes of play before winning (3-0). The rest of the match was disappointing, between a grueling end to the season and a degraded pitch.
This Saturday, the Blues were in great shape and the pitch was impeccable. Marcus Thuram therefore quickly made the break, with success (4th), before Warren Zaire-Emery’s goal (16th). At 17 years and 255 days, the latter became on Saturday the youngest player to make his debut with the French team since 1914. A prodigy hatched by Paris Saint-Germain, the midfielder did not disappoint but came out at the end a quarter of an hour into the game, injured in the ankle on his goal by Santos, excluded.
At 0-3 and ten against eleven, it was understood that Gibraltar would have difficulty holding out against the French armada. After the first goal of the evening scored by Kylian Mbappé from the penalty spot (30th), Jonathan Clauss (34th) and Youssouf Fofana (37th) both scored their first goal for the France team. In the meantime, Kingsley Coman also scored his goal (36th). At half-time, while the Blues were already leading 7-0, Didier Deschamps recalled on TF1 that “respecting the opponent means scoring as many goals as possible“.
Giroud now has 56 goals in Blue
After a less technically controlled start to the second period, the Blues complied and Adrien Rabiot (63rd) then Kingsley Coman (65th), author of a double, brought the French team closer to the record finally acquired a few minutes later. This was amplified thanks to Olivier Giroud’s double (89th, 90th+1), who now has 56 goals with the Blues.
From afar, Mike Maignan witnessed the undivided domination of his teammates and the balls he touched, which can be counted on the fingers of both hands, were all cheered by the 32,758 spectators at the Allianz Riviera who did not have not forgotten him despite the French offensive performance.
With this success, France has 21 points and is sure to be among the top seeds in the Euro draw on December 2. She has 27 goals scored and only 1 conceded, with 7 victories in 7 matches, and could achieve a flawless performance in these qualifications. For this, we will have to win against Greece, Tuesday in Athens, for the last meeting of the Blues in this year 2023.