Today's international results
Netherlands 2-2 Scotland
France 3-0 Wales
Romania 1-2 Georgia
Germany 1-1 Denmark
England 1-0 Austria
Norway 1-0 Luxembourg
Belarus 1-1 Azerbaijan
Bosnia & Herzegovina 0-0 Montenegro
Full-time: France 3-0 Wales
There was no redemptive goal for Benzema - he even missed a penalty, or rather Danny Ward saved it - but the Real Madrid striker improved France, adding fresh intelligence and sharpness to their attack. The French were full of menace an; but Wales need not be too downhearted because they were doing just fine until Neco Williams unduly harsh red card. Even after that they showed impressive discipline and continued to threaten; in fact, they should have scored at least once, having exposed some deficiencies in the French defence. France are favourites but they’re not flawless.
Full-time: Germany 1-1 Denmark
That’s an improvement by Germany - who were beaten at home by North Macedonia - but it wasn’t the sort of performance that’ll have the rest of the continent trembling in their boots.
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France v Wales: Ward denies Benzema again, this time showing his sharp reflexes to turn away a powerful header from a corner.
GOAL! France 3-0 Wales (Dembélé 79)
That goal was all about Benzema. He peeled off his marker to take Kounde’s cross from the right byline on his chest and then unloaded a terrific low shot that struck the base of the post. It rebounded to Dembélé, who fired into the net from seven yards.
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France v Wales: Lloris is worried, because Brooks is standing over a freekick one yard outside the box, in the D. Digne is lying down behind the wall in case the Welshman tries something sly. But Brooks, perhaps having listened to a testament classic, tries to go over the wall. Benzema jumps to head clear.
Full-time: Netherlands 2-2 Scotland
That was a very encouraging exercise for Steve Clarke’s side, even if they’ll be peeved not to have claimed the victory. They made a a very bold and bright start and opened the scoring with a lovely goal by Hendry. But they let the lead slip too soon, leaving Depay free to net with a fine volley. Nisbet put Scotland back in front with another peach, slotting home calmly after a perfect cross by Robertson. When the Dutch were given a soft freekick two minutes from time, Depay curled into the net.
GOAL! Netherlands 2-2 Scotland (Depay 88)
The decision to award the freekick was dubious, but there’s no doubt Depay’s finish was marvellous, curling it into the far corner from just outside the left-hand side of the area.
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GOAL! Germany 1-1 Denmark (Poulsen 71)
Didn’t see that coming! Eriksen created it with a clever pass between Süle and Hummels. Poulsen fires a low shot from the left-hand side of the box into the far corner.
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France v Wales: Spirited and slick stuff by Wales! Ramsey nutmegs Kimpembe to slip the ball into the path of James, who burst into the box and blasts at goal. Lloris bats it away but he really shouldn’t have been given the chance to do so: if James had have fired low to the corner, it would surely have been a goal.
France v Wales: Koundé clips a cross from the right all the way over to the other flank, where Digne tries to sidefoot a volley into the net. But Wales block.
France v Wales: Wales have switched to a back four, with Ben Davies coming on to join Rodon in the hear of it.
Netherlands v Scotland: Depay’s freekick at the edge of the area is blocked by McGregor, part of a five-man wall. Still 2-1 to Scotland.
France v Wales: It’s total domination by France now. They’ve moving the 10 men around with pitiless ease but, in fairness, a series of last-ditch interventions by Wales has prevented more goals. So far. Digne, on as a substitute, is enjoying lots of space down the left and sending in repeated dangerous crosses.
Netherland v Scotland: The Dutch are eager to equalise but Scotland are holding firm. Hendry clears a cross by Depay just in front of his own goal. Still 2-1 to Steve Clarke’s history-makers.
GOAL! France 2-0 Wales (Giezmann 47)
Magnifique! Pogba rolled the ball in to Mbappé, who flicked it beautiful through to Griezmann at the edge of the box. The forward then placed a perfect curling shot into the top corner.
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GOAL! Netherlands 1-2 Scotland (Nisbet 63)
A sweeping attack down the left by Scotland, then Robertson delicately curls a cross into the path of Nibet, who arrives at the back post to guide it first-time into the net. A composed finish for his first international goal!
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Romania 0-1 Georgia (Mikautadze 62)
Things get worse for Romania, already down to 10 men, as Mikautadze gives Georgia the lead.
GOAL! Germany 1-0 Denmark (Neuhaus 48)
Neuhaus stabs into the net from close range after a bit of scramble in the Danish box.
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Netherlands v Scotland: The pulsating early tempo has faded and this is now quite a pedestrian game. But Tierney tries to raise the level with a burst down the left and wins a freekick, impeded by Dumfries. Scotland make a mess of the freekick. Still 1-1.
Romania v Georgia: Romania are finding it tough going against Georgia: they’ve had most of the ball but have fewer men following Tanase’s dismissal just before half-time. It’s still 0-0.
France v Wales: To their credit, Wales end the first half on the attack, Wilson sending a swirler just wide from 25 yards after a corner is half-cleared. They go into the break 1-0 down but knowing they have played pretty well and the game turned on a moment of misfortune for Neco Williams.
France v Wales: Rabiot swipes at fresh air after another commanding French buildup. 10-men Wales have a real job on their hands to keep the score down here.
France v Wales: Pogba to Griezman to Benzema to Mbappé, whose lifts his shot from 12 yards over the bar. That was a wayward finish after a lovely one-touch move.
Germany v Denmark: Germany have been well on top and Gnabry nearly illuminates the first half it with a magical goal! Sadly, after fancy footwork at the edge of the area, his curling shot bounced out off the bar.
France v Wales: Les Bleus have a swagger now, with one-goal lead and a one-man advantage. Wales are having to concentrate and work hard to plug all gaps.
GOAL! France 1-0 Wales (Mbappé 34)
Rabiot’s shot from 22 yards deflects off Griezmann. Ward, falling the wrong way, manages to adjust to save with his feet, but Mbappé beats Mepham to the rebound and pokes into the net.
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Netherlands - Scotland: It’s 1-1 at half-time. Hendry gave the Scots the lead with a brilliant strike, but slovenly defending allowed Depay to equalise with a pretty fine strike of his own.
France v Wales: France look vexed, like the way to punish Wales. But the Welsh continue to defend peskily and, what’s more, remain eager to counter-attack despite their numerical disadvantage.
France v Wales: Benzema is no Ivan Toney but he struck the penalty reasonably well, all the same, if not quite in the corner and with little disguise. Ward read his intentions and produced a super stop. Now all they have to do is hold out with 10 men against the world champions.
Danny Ward saves Benzema's penalty!
The Leicester keeper springs to his right and gets a strong hand to Benzema’s low drive! Way to ruin the striker’s much-trumpeted return!
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Penalty to France! And red card for Neco Williams
That’s absurdly excessive. Giving the penalty was technically legitimate, but sending off Williams for an offence he knew little about is plain silly.
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France v Wales: Bales gets back to head away a dangerous pass by Griezmann, who trots over to take the corner. Rodon clears it. But France quickly regain possession and Griezmann curls an in-swinging cross from the right. Pogba leaps to get a towering downward header from five yards, and Wards pulls off an amazing save! Neco Williams reacts sharply to block Benzem’s follow-up. But the French players claim he did so with his arm. And they’re right? Williams was only a yard away from the ball but his arms were out in front of him. The ref is going across to look at the monitor ...
France v Wales: Dan James is causing France a lot of trouble, sometimes coming short, sometimes dashing in behind. Pavard did well to keep pace with him a moment ago and slide in to poke the ball out for a corner.
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France v Wales: Allen feeds Wilson, who shuffles for space at the right-hand corner of the box and then tries to curl a shot into far the corner. Good idea, faulty execution. The ball sails towards the empty stands.
France v Wales: The French are having plenty of possession and Wales seem fairly content to let them have it, at least in their own half. The visitors are showing commendable discipline and compactness in a high-paced game.
Germany v Denmark: After 12 minutes Kasper Schmeichel is forced to make his first save, getting down well to hold a decent effort from Neuhaus.
James flies down the left again for Wales and delivers a useful cross. Kimpembe is well placed again, heading it away.
Wales threaten! James scampers into the left-hand side of the area after iffy French defending. Lloris faffs at his cross at the near post, just pushing it in front of the goal. Luckily for him, Kimpembe clears it before Allen can pounce.
Rodon does well to prevent Mbappé from getting in a cross, but Wales can’t hold on to the ball. When it comes to Pogba on the right, he curls a delicious cross towards Benzema, who glances a header towards the far corner. Wards gets down well to save.
After 63 seconds, Wales get their first touch. But France win it straight back, and Hernandez knocks it into the box from the left. Mepham heads it away.
Meanwhile in Nice, Tottenham(ish) buddies Hugo Lloris and Gareth Bale swap hugs after the coin toss before France v Wales. Then the ball is delivered to the centre circle on a remote control car because, well, why not.
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GOAL! Netherlands 1-1 Scotland (Depay 17)
It’s a beautiful finish by Depay, arrowing a low left-footed volley beyond Gordon from 16 yards after Wijnaldum nodded the ball down to him. But why oh why was Depay so free in the Scottish box?
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Scotland on the rampage again! This time Krul has to fling himself to his right to bat away a shot by Dykes.
GOAL! Netherlands 0-1 Scotland (Hendry 10)
What a goal! And deserved reward for tremendous Scottish pressing. Armstrong won the ball as the Dutch tried to tip-toe their way through febrile pressure. Then Hendry stepped in and rasped a superb low shot beyond the keeper from 20 yards!
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Scotland win the ball high up the pitch and quickly work it to Tierney, who goes for goal from 30 yards. It’s a strong, swirling effort ... but it whizzes just wide.
Tierney hurries across to make an important clearance, stopping Depay from getting on the end of a dangerous cross from the left.
Dumfries fires off the first shot of the game after a long, patient buildup by the Netherlands. He was never likely to beat Gordon from an acute angle on the right and, sure enough, he lashed his shot into the sidenetting.
After their perky start, Scotland are being pushed back by the Dutch, without looking threatened.
Scotland v Netherland is go! Steve Clarke’s get the game under way in an empty stadium. It’s a feisty opening by the visitors, too, as the Scots pop the ball around nicely while being harassed by the Dutch.
Romania v Georgia
Romania: Vlad; Sorescu, Nedelceanu, Chiriches, Ganea; Olanu, Marin, Maxim; Hagi, Alibec, Tanase
Georgia: Kupatazde; Chabradze, Khockolava, Kvirkvella, Azarov; Shengalia, Kvekveskiri, Aburjania, Okraishvili, Daushvili; Mikautadze
Germany v Denmark
Germany: Neuer; Ginter, HUmmels, Süle; Klostermann, Gosens, Neuhaus, Kimmich, Sané, Gnabry; Müller
Subs: Leno, Trapp, Günter, Halstenberg, Koch, Hofmann, Musiala, Volland
Denmark: Wass; Kjaer, Vestergaard, Maehle; Delaney, Hojbjerg, Eriksen, Skov, Olsen, Braithwaite; Poulsen
Subs: Lössl, Rönnow, Boilsen, Jørgensen, Stryger, Larsen, Christiansen, Damsgaard, Cornelius, Dolberg, Wind
France v Wales
It’s Wales’ chance to upstage Karim Benzema on his Real Madrid’s striker’s first international outing since 2015. But Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey all start on the bench. France go with the potentially devastating strikeforce of Mbappé and Benzema, with Griezmann just behind them at the tip of the midfield diamond. Stick in N’golo Kanté and this could be the team they start with against Germany in a couple of weeks.
France: Lloris; Pavard, Varane, Kimpembe, L.Hernandez; Tolisso, Pogba, Rabiot, Griezmann; Benzema, Mbappé.
Wales: Ward; Gunter, Rodon, Mepham, Roberts; Wilson, Allen, Williams, Morrell; Bale, James
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Netherlands v Scotland
Deprived of John Fleck, John McGinn, David Marshall, Grant Hanley, Nathan Patterson, Che Adams and Stephen O’Donnell because of covid concerns, Scotland go with the below starting eleven. For Holland, Tim Krul gets a chance to stake his claim for the No1 goalkeeping spot after Jasper Cillessen had to drop out of the squad because of a positive covid test.
Scotland: Gordon, Robertson, Tierney, McGregor, Dykes, Christie, Cooper, Armstrong, Turnbull, Hendry, Forrest
Subs: McLaughlin, McTominay, Taylor, Gallagher, Nisbet, Fraser, Gilmour, McKenna
Netherlands: Krul, Dumfries, Timber, De Vries, De Ligt, Wijndal, De Roon, Wijnaldum, De Jong, Depay, Weghorst.
Subs: Krul, Bizot, Blind, Veltman, Ake, Van Aanholt, Klaassen, Van de Beek, Gravenberch, Koopmeiners, Promes, De Jong, Berghuis, Malen, Gakpo
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Preamble
It’s nine days until Turkey take on Italy in the first match of the delayed European Championships. Most players would probably like to be keeping out of harm’s way until then, maintaining suppleness but mostly lounging around, possibly chatting, reading, watching movies or rampaging through virtual cities with gamepad in hand. But most of them can’t do that because there are warm-up matches to play and, of course, these are opportunities to force their way into their manager’s plans or, at least, help bluff opposing managers. Here are the game we’ll be paying attention to:
Netherlands v Scotland (kick off 7.45pm)
Romania v Georgia (7.45pm)
Germany v Denmark (8pm)
France v Wales (8.05pm)
