Goals late in the first half from Olivier Giroud and Nabil Fekir earned France a 2-0 friendly win against Republic of Ireland at the Stade de France on Monday evening.
On a night of torrential rain in Paris, Les Blues got the job done with their quickfire blast to earn a deserved win in their first of three outings before the World Cup finals.
Giroud forced the ball over the line from a yard out to open the scoring, before a howler from Colin Doyle gifted Tolisso his side's second of the match just four minutes later.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the international friendly meeting between France and Republic of Ireland at the Stade de France in Paris. This is the first of three friendlies for Les Blues ahead of their 2018 World Cup opener against Australia on June 16, giving boss Didier Deschamps a chance to experiment with his star-studded squad.
While the hosts are preparing for that meeting with Australia in Kazin in a few weeks' time, Ireland are simply gearing up for the inaugural UEFA Nations League in the autumn. That acts as a de facto qualifying process for Euro 2020, so Martin O'Neill will want his players to hit the ground running for games against Wales and Denmark - two sides that the Irish have got to know quite well in recent months.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Doyle; Coleman, Long, Duffy, D.Williams; O'Dowda, Rice, Browne, McClean; Walters, Long
SUBS: O'Malley, Supple, Doherty, Judge, Cunningham, Egan, Lenihan, Horgan, Meyler, Stevens, Arter, Burke, S.Williams
Ireland released their team news right on time, so let us start by looking at the XI selected by O'Neill. The big news is that Blackburn Rovers defender Derrick Williams is handed his first senior cap, being used on the opposite side to the more experienced Seamus Coleman. Colin Doyle is used in goal, meanwhile, and there is also news of a third cap for Preston North End's Alan Browne.
Interestingly, versatile West Ham United ace Declan Rice will start in midfield in what will either be a 4-4-2 formation or 4-5-1 depending on the positioning of Jonathan Walter. No doubt that Shane Long will be tasked with leading the line, with support provided from out wide by Callum O'Dowda and James McClean, the latter of whom scored four time in World Cup qualifying - a third of Ireland's overall tally of 12.
Conor O'Molley and Shane Supple are both included on the bench and we could well see one of them make their international bow tonight. Midfielder Shaun Williams and striker Graham Burke may also be given a run-out by O'Neill, who is very much looking towards to evolve with one eye on the UEFA Nations League. There is also a place among the subs for Alan Judge, who was a late call-up for the injured Eunan O'Kane, but Jeff Hendrick misses out.
FRANCE TEAM NEWS!
STARTING XI: Mandanda; Sidibe, Rami, Umtiti, Mendy; Tolisso, N'Zonzi, Matuidi; Fekir, Giroud, Mbappe
SUBS: Areola, Dembele, Griezmann, Lucas, Kante, Kimpembe, Lemar, Lloris, Pavard, Pogba, Thauvin
There will not be a more talented squad of players travelling to Russia next month than the one put together by Deschamps. Even the 15 or so big names omitted from the travelling party could hold their own against most nations, highlighting the pure strength in depth that they have to call upon. It was always going to be intriguing to see what formation the man in charge went with, and it appears to be a 4-3-3.
Olivier Giroud is the top-scoring player in this France squad with 30 to his name, which leaves him seventh in the all-time list. The Chelsea striker looks likely to start through the middle come that opening World Cup fixture against Australia, but the three or four other attacking positions alongside him still need filling. Nabil Fekir, strongly linked with Liverpool after a strong campaign at club level, joins Kylian Mbappe in the frontline tonight.
Corentin Tolisso, Blaise Matuidi and Steven N'Zonzi will sit in a midfield three behind that talented frontline, meaning that Paul Pogba is only among the subs, as is Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele and Thomas Lemar of Monaco... need I go on? Deschamps has a selection headache of the highest order, and just three more matches left to decide on his settled starting lineup.
Marseille winger Dimitri Payet would surely have been included in France's squad if not for an injury picked up in the Europa League final. There are plenty of others absent from Les Blues' 23-man group for Russia, including Manchester United's Anthony Martial, and man-for-man this is just about the strongest group of players on the continent right now.
France are only actually the fourth favourites to lift the World Cup, however, behind Brazil, Germany and Spain, as Deschamps has not yet truly showed that he can integrate these star names into a side that properly functions. That was the case in qualifying, with Les Blues making life difficult for themselves before eventually pulling themselves over the line for a place in Russia.
Deschamps' charges were held by Belarus in their opening qualifying fixture, while also losing to Sweden later in the campaign and drawing at home to Luxembourg. It was the defeat in Stockholm that sparked a change of sorts, as the manager turned away from his loyal lieutenants and instead looked to inject some fresh impetus into the side. This new-look side, it is fair to say, is already more popular than the Class of 2010.
Those three underwhelming results left France requiring victory away to Bulgaria, and they managed to pick up the result needed thanks to an early Blaise Matuidi goal. Then came a 2-1 home win against Belarus through goals from Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud, ensuring that they eventually finished four points better off than Sweden and the Netherlands, the latter of whom missed out on Russia 2018 entirely.
France are now seeking a second World Cup crown, two decades on from their only previous triumph. They finished runners-up in 2006 but were a laughing stock in 2010 and made minimal impact four years ago, crashing out to Germany in the quarter-finals. More recently than that, though, Les Blues fell just short on home soil at the 2016 European Championship, suffering a surprise defeat to Portugal in a poor final.
Failing to win Euro 2016 was a disappointment for France, and now the target in Russia has to be to go one better. They have a nice group, paired with Australia, Peru and Denmark which, on paper at least - always a dangerous phrase, granted - should see them go through in top spot. If that is the case, and Argentina also avoid any slip-ups in their winnable group, Les Blues will meet one of Iceland, Croatia or Nigeria in the last 16.
France have played four friendlies since qualifying for the World Cup in October, starting with a 2-0 win over Wales here. Les Blues showed plenty of promise that night, but there was a stage in the game when they were just a goal to the good and holding on a little. A 2-2 draw with Germany followed in Koln, with Alexandre Lacazette netting a brace that night, before losing 3-2 to Colombia here and winning 3-1 in Russia. A mixed set of results, to say the least.
Mbappe, Dembele and Martial were used in the front three for that win in Russia, in contrast to the match against Colombia which had Giroud spearheading the side, just ahead of Lemar, Griezmann and Mbappe. The biggest issue for Deschamps is settling on a formation and then selecting players to fit into it; or indeed vice-versa. It goes without saying that getting the best out of Paul Pogba will be key, although that will have to wait for now - he is not included from the off tonight.
France also face Italy and the United States before setting off for Russia, with that match against Australia on June 16 - less than three weeks away. Ireland, Italy and the USA all have different strengths and weaknesses, but Deschamps has no doubt already done his research and knows exactly what lineups he will use in each. The recent results have been mixed, yet in the grand scheme of things it all counts for little.
DID YOU KNOW? France have lost just two of their last 12 home friendlies, winning nine of those and scoring at least twice 10 times. That makes the recent 3-2 reverse to fellow finalists Colombia all the more surprising, coming at the Stade de France when sitting on a commanding two-goal lead.
France boss Didier Deschamps has less than three weeks to settle on a preferred formation. Les Blues have experimented heavily in their four friendlies since qualifying for Russia 2018, alternating between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 in the most recent of those. Olivier Giroud is expected to be the one constant, having netted an unrivalled 30 goals in the famous blue shirt.
Visitors Ireland missed out on World Cup qualification and are now preparing for the UEFA Nations League, which gets up and running in the autumn. Failing to reach Russia 2018 was a huge disappointment for O'Neill, who initially cast doubt on his future before agreeing to stay on for the next campaign leading up to Euro 2020. It all ended with a 5-1 aggregate loss to Denmark in the playoffs.
The Boys in Green did the hard work by returning from the away fixture with a goalless draw, setting them up nicely for the return match at the Aviva Stadium. A Christian Eriksen masterclass saw the Danes run away with it in the end, though, meaning that they, and not Ireland, will be in Russia next month. Prior to that, O'Neill's men beat Wales 1-0 in a de facto qualifier of sorts to finish second in the group stage.
The manner of the defeat to Denmark was made all the more shocking as it came soon after their huge win in Cardiff. Ireland entered the qualifying process as fourth seeds, so finishing above Wales and Austria was an achievement in itself, but in the end Serbia had a little too much about them and it all proved one game too many when Denmark came calling. Ireland also lost 1-0 to Turkey in a friendly two months ago, so it is back-to-back defeats for them.
In fact, it is now three matches without a win for Ireland and just the three wins in 12 matches since November 2012, coming against Wales, Moldova and Uruguay, the latter being a friendly. After this tricky test in Paris, the Boys in Green take on the United States in Dublin five days from now, before their UEFA Nations League opener against familiar opponents Wales on September 6.
Ireland have gone 10 away friendlies since their last victory, but they have drawn seven of those and kept a clean sheet in five. Keeping out the opposition tonight will be far from easy, of course, especially when naming a few inexperienced players in the starting lineup. The experience gained from a match of this magnitude will no doubt come in handy further down the line.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! These two sides have met on 16 previous occasions, with France winning seven and losing four of those. Their most recent encounter came at Euro 2016 when Les Blues triumphed 2-1 in Lyon after falling behind to the quickest-ever penalty in a European knockout tie, with Robbie Brady converting after just three minutes. The hosts had Antoine Griezmann to thank that afternoon as he netted a double.
The World Cup qualifying playoff between these sides in 2009 also lives long in the memory, as it was the match that Thierry Henry crushed the hearts of a nation with his blatant handball. Les Blues won that tie 2-1 and have been victorious in seven of their home matches against Ireland; their last defeat of any sort coming back in 1981. It is fair to say that the odds are stacked against the visitors tonight no matter which way you look at it.
With kickoff at the Stade de France now less than five minutes away, let us check out some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Didier Deschamps: "I don't want the Irish journalists to think that we chose Ireland because we thought we were going to have fun and we were going to win. We played Ireland at the Euros and it was very hard. We chose this team because they have the same profile as the ones we are going to face at the World Cup, and it's going to be a tough game, I can tell you that."
Martin O'Neill: "Personally, I think they're very strong. France, when they get together, will be strong in this competition. They will be disappointed to lose the final of European Championship, but overall they have as good a chance as anybody of winning the World Cup. The main thing is the extra experience they have had over the last couple of years. Qualification was fine. Individually, France have got very strong players indeed."
Deschamps is hoping for a real test from Ireland tonight, in the same manner as two years ago when his side were given a major scare at Euro 2016. Ireland boss O'Neill has talked up the quality in the opposition ranks, meanwhile, and you have to say that he has a point. Les Blues are much fancied to go all the way in Russia and lift the World Cup, but they need to properly click into gear if that is to happen.
KICKOFF! We are up and running at a very wet Stade de France. Les Blues have just two more games to go after this one before getting their World Cup campaign up and running; now is the time to build some momentum.
Ireland are unlikely to see too much of the ball this evening, and so that has proved early on in Paris. The home side currently knocking the ball around at the back, into midfield and eventually into the final third - all very patient.
SHOT! Djibril Sidibe wins the ball off McClean and France are able to attack the visitors. It is worked to Mbappe, whose curled effort from inside of the box was off target, though Colin Doyle probably had it covered anyway.
An early scare for Ireland, then, and all from their own doing as McClean was caught on the ball. The visitors struggling to really settle at the moment. Mbappe with some great play, but his intended pass was cut out in the area.
Ireland having to defend in numbers, which so far has just about worked. France are pretty relentless, though, not giving their opponents a chance to truly regroup and themselves get forward. Could be a long night for the visitors.
France want a penalty as Mbappe's flicked pass hit an Ireland hand in the box, yet the referee appeared to make the right call in waving play on. Nabil Fekir swings a free kick into the box for Shane Duffy to head clear.
Plenty of probing from France but not a great deal of end product so far. Ireland looked a little shaky early on but now look more solid at the back, although whether or not they can sit this deep for another 80 minutes remains to be seen.
The Boys in Green are frustrating the home side now. France are forced back to Mandanda, and when the ball did get forward it was again fairly comfortable for Ireland to deal with. Les Blues need to move up a gear if they are to score.
For all of France's attacking talents, they have managed just the one shot so far - Mbappe curling one wide from around 15 yards. In that sense, it is a case of so far, so good from Ireland's perspective as they will happily take a 0-0 draw.
SHOT! Olivier Giroud with a nice little flick into the path of Kylian Mbappe, with the young striker sending his subsequent shot well over the crossbar from the edge of the box. The shot count finally starting to rise now.
That pass from Giroud into the path of Mbappe goes a long way to showing just why he is so often selected through the middle for France. Nearly a quarter of this friendly played and we are still awaiting the first effort on goal.
YELLOW CARD! James McClean with a mistimed challenge on Blaise Matuidi to earn himself the game's first yellow card. Worse could follow, as France have a free kick in a nice shooting position 20 yards from goal.
CLOSE! France had three players standing over the free kick and any one of them could have taken it on. In the end Nabil Fekir curled it agonisingly wide of the target, requiring a little more bend if he was to double his international goals tally.
France have unquestionably been the better side in the opening third of the match, but they have so far been unable to test Doyle in the Ireland goal. The closest they have come to a breakthrough was via Fekir's curled free kick a short while ago.
Serious pressure from the home side now, as they continue to dominate the ball in the final third. There is certainly a sense that a breakthrough goal could arrive shortly, with Doyle now having to remain constantly alert.
Captain Matuidi opts against taking on the shot and instead aims to thread the ball through for Giroud, who could not quite bring it under control. Ireland have no real out-ball and the pressure is therefore constant.
SAVE! Doyle is finally being made to make some saves in the Ireland goal. Kylian Mbappe puts his foot through the ball and the lower-league keeper did well to push it behind for a corner kick. Giroud then glanced a cross wide with his head.
Doyle has now twice denied Mbappe, and the PSG striker has also had another couple of efforts that were off target. No doubt who the home side's most lively player is so far, but the ball just will not go in the net for Les Blues.
An incredibly stretched spell in the game as Ireland finally commit bodies forward. O'Dowda was one-on-one with the last defender and had a player over, but he did little with the ball and France then countered, only for the move to break down.
It has been a lively first half at the Stade de France in a match that France have truly dominated. Seven shots in total now, two of which Doyle has been made to keep out. O'Neill will be pleased enough, though, as it remains all square.
OFF THE POST! Sidibe picks out Tolisso on the edge of the box and the Bayern Munich midfielder curled the ball against the outside of the post. France probing away, knocking on the door but just unable to find the net.
GOAL! FRANCE 1-0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (OLIVIER GIROUD)
France finally find a way through, and it is their leading goalscorer Olivier Giroud who has found the net. The Chelsea striker leapt highest to meet a right-sided corner, which a mixture of Doyle and Coleman kept off the line, but Giroud then had two attempts at squeezing the rebound over the line.
That Giroud goal changes the dynamic of the game for the second half. Ireland have been happy to sit back from the off, but if they are to take anything from the match then they quite simply have to get some bodies forward after the restart.
GOAL! FRANCE 2-0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (NABIL FEKIR)
Republic of Ireland have fallen apart at the end of the first half. Nabil Fekir got a shot on target that Colin Doyle made a real hash of, simply lifting the ball into the air and then watching it spin over the line when he was down on the ground.
HALF TIME: FRANCE 2-0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
France take a deserved two-goal lead into the interval thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and Nabil Fekir. Republic of Ireland stood strong for 40 minutes, but it was always going to be a matter of time before Les Blues broke the wall down.
Kylian Mbappe was wayward with a couple of early efforts before eventually testing Colin Doyle, who had just two caps to his name prior to tonight's prestige friendly for Ireland. Doyle, who plies his club trade for third tier Bradford City, certainly did his reputation no harm when keeping out a well-struck Mbappe shot low to his left.
France were dominating proceedings and were left wondering how they were not in front when Corentin Tolisso curled the ball against the outside of the post, shortly after Nabil Fekir's free kick dropped inches wide of the target. The pressure finally told late in the half, however, as an Ireland side containing debutant Derrick Williams in their ranks crumbled.
After climbing highest to head a corner goalwards, Olivier Giroud would require a couple more attempts before finally squeezing the ball past both Seamus Coleman and Doyle on the line. The second goal followed four minutes later when Fekir's shot squirmed through the hands of Doyle, who could only watch as the ball looped into the air and spun over the line.
BENCH WATCH!
FRANCE SUBS: Areola, Dembele, Griezmann, Lucas, Kante, Kimpembe, Lemar, Lloris, Pavard, Pogba, Thauvin
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SUBS: O'Malley, Supple, Doherty, Judge, Cunningham, Egan, Lenihan, Horgan, Meyler, Stevens, Arter, Burke, S.Williams
RESTART! We are back under way in Paris, where neither manager has made a change. A little surprised by that, although it may be down to a pre-match agreement to make a batch of changes come the hour mark.
Jonathan Walters with a nasty lunge on Blaise Matuidi, who has been in the wars tonight. That is not what Deschamps wants to see so close to a major tournament, but the midfielder is back on his feet and seemingly OK to continue.
SAVE! Brilliant save from Colin Doyle to keep out Giroud's shot. Does not quite make up for his howler at the end of the first half, but that will do his confidence a world of good, sticking out a strong hand to deny Giroud.
Fekir cuts across the ball and sends his shot flying well wide of the target. No real change in the flow of the match - France continuing to dominate and looking far more likely than their opponents to score the game's next goal.
A number of France's back-up players have been sent out to warm-up, with a couple of them no doubt likely to be brought on come the hour mark. Les Blues will want to net a third goal just to make certain of the victory.
Sidibe does well to send the ball into the box when running out of space, and Browne very nearly scored a classic own goal. The midfielder's clearance came off his shin and went spinning over the frame of his own goal for a corner kick.
Potentially a blow here for France, because Adil Rami has gone to ground and may not be able to continue. Not such a bad thing in terms of this game, with the match as good as won, but more so with the World Cup right around the corner.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND SUBS! We have reached the hour mark at the Stade de France, and Martin O'Neill has just turned to his bench. Harry Arter and David Meyler are on for Browne and Walter. Deschamps yet to turn to his bench.
Ireland have showed so little attacking intent today. That is all well and good when you are able to keep the opposition out, but they are now two goals down and do not look likely to threaten Les Blues' backline.
FRANCE SUBS! Lucas Hernandez is now on for Benjamin Mendy, Antoine Griezmann has replaced Nabil Fekir and Presnel Kimpembe takes over from Samuel Umtiti. Job done for those leaving the field of play in Paris.
Doyle with a couple of saves since the restart, including a decent stop to deny Giroud, while up the other end Ireland are still yet to test Steve Mandanda. Deschamps would have been hoping for a little more from the visitors in that regard.
Les Blues at risk of overdoing things now, with Mbappe slotting the ball through for Giroud, who was not really expecting it and failed to bring it under control. As good as France have been, this match is still not over just yet.
We are now into the final 20 minutes of the match and Les Blues are looking to add a third goal to their tally. Doyle has redeemed himself slightly in the second half with a couple of saves, but he now faces a different test with Griezmann on.
YELLOW CARD! Harry Arter, brought on a few minutes ago, goes right through Olivier Giroud and is shown the game's second caution. Judge and Burke are now on for Ireland, taking over from Long and O'Dowda for the remainder.
Griezmann has not really been able to get into the match thus far, with the contest going through its quietest spell to date. World Cup-bound France effectively wrapped things up in a four-minute period at the end of the first half.
The home fans inside the Stade de France want a third goal, and you have to say that Les Blues would deserve it. They have completely dominated the match, barely giving Ireland a touch of the ball over the past five minutes or so.
FRANCE SUBS! A goalbound shot is cleared by an Irish body in front of Doyle. With that, Deschamps makes two more changes - Paul Pogba and Ousmane Dembele are on for Corentin Tolisso and Kylian Mbappe late on here.
Paul Pogba, on the field for two minutes, sends a shot from 20 yards flying over the crossbar. For all of France's possession, they have been unable to find that killer final ball or shot too often this evening.
SUBS! A very stop-start feel to the match now, with both managers continuing to make subs. Benjamin Pavard is on for Djibril Sidibe as far as the hosts are concerned; Williams and Doherty are on for Long and Williams for the visitors.
These conditions are very tough for both sides now. It is absolutely bucketing it down in Paris, forcing those in the front few rows to make their way further back. Ireland now being allowed to enjoy a rare spell on the ball.
James McClean with a decent free kick, which only needed a slight touch to take it past Steve Mandanda. The France keeper was no doubt hoping for that touch to arrive so that he would have a save to make - a very quiet night for him.
The seconds ticking by at the Stade de France and, truth be told, both manager would accept full time now. France did the hard work in the first half, scoring quickfire goals through Giroud and Fekir, which they have been unable to add to.
SAVE! The 90 minutes are up and the rain continues to come down heavily. Horrible conditions for the players, who will no doubt just want to get off the pitch now! A good-tempo friendly, with Griezmann's belter being turned aside by Doyle.
FULL TIME: FRANCE 2-0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Ireland's best chance came right at the very end of the match; Shaun Williams being denied a goal on his debut by a smart stop from Steve Mandanda. A good run-out for France in this first of three pre-World Cup friendlies, although they will face far tougher tests than this in Russia next month.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events from the Stade de France. An on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, and be sure to join us a little later for updates from Wales's friendly against Mexico in California. See you then!
