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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

France celebrate 2-0 win in Albania's new stadium

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group H - Albania v France - Air Albania Stadium, Tirana, Albania - November 17, 2019 France's Antoine Griezmann celebrates qualifying for the Euro 2020 finals with team mates REUTERS/Florion Goga

TIRANA (Reuters) - World champions France produced a fitting inaugural match in Albania's newly-built Arena Kombetare stadium after goals from Corentin Tolisso and Antoine Griezmann gave them a 2-0 win in a Euro 2020 Group H qualifier on Sunday.

Having already booked their berth in next year's 24-nation tournament, France finished top of the group on 25 points from 10 games, two ahead of second-placed Turkey who cruised to a 2-0 win at Andorra.

Albania, who had no chance of breaking into the top two, looked subdued in front of a passionate home crowd and UEFA dignitaries including the soccer governing body's chief Aleksander Ceferin.

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group H - Albania v France - Air Albania Stadium, Tirana, Albania - November 17, 2019 France's Antoine Griezmann celebrates qualifying for the Euro 2020 finals after the match REUTERS/Florion Goga

Tolisso fired the French into an eighth-minute lead when he headed home superbly inside the near post after Griezmann swung in an inviting free kick from the left.

Griezmann netted the second in the 31st minute when he turned in a sharp low cross by Leo Dubois, as the gulf in class between the two sides was everywhere to be seen in front of a capacity 22,000 crowd.

France continued to press after the break and Olivier Giroud missed three chances to extend their lead, having twice been denied by goalkeeper Etrit Berisha before hitting the post with a fierce shot from inside the penalty area.

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group H - Albania v France - Air Albania Stadium, Tirana, Albania - November 17, 2019 France coach Didier Deschamps shakes hands with Antoine Griezmann after the match REUTERS/Florion Goga

Turkey, who also sealed qualification with a match to spare, breezed past Andorra thanks to a first-half brace from striker Enes Unal.

In the group's other fixture, Iceland eked out a 2-1 win in Moldova and although the Nordic nation failed to progress from the group, they will have another chance through the playoffs in March.

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group H - Albania v France - Air Albania Stadium, Tirana, Albania - November 17, 2019 General view as France pose for a team group photograph before the match.REUTERS/Florion Goga

(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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