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Date: 2023-12-09 12:57:39 | Author: Olympics 2024 | Views: 836 | Tag: football
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Scotland gave France an early fright before suffering a chastening 4-1 loss to their classy hosts in Lille football
The Scots went into the friendly knowing they had qualified for the 2024 European Championships at the weekend after Spain beat Norway to ensure Steve Clarke’s side a top-two finish in Group A football
Clarke took the opportunity to utilise his squad, giving a debut to Liam Kelly among eight changes from last week’s game in Seville and they stunned the home side when midfielder Billy Gilmour guided in the opener after 11 minutes – his first ever senior goal football
However, France defender Benjamin Pavard scored twice with headers by way of a rapid response and skipper Kylian Mbappe added a third from the spot before the break football
Substitute Kingsley Coman hammered in a fourth in the 70th minute to seal a commanding win for the superior home side football
RecommendedHow Scotland qualified for Euro 2024 – and why Germany will be differentEngland have qualified for Euro 2024 — now it’s about winning itEngland player ratings as Marcus Rashford shines but Kalvin Phillips struggles in Italy comebackAfter winning their first five Euro qualifiers, Scotland have lost three games in a row and Clarke will want to get that winning feeling back in the final two qualifiers against Georgia and Norway next month football
In addition to Kelly’s introduction to international football football in The Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre Mauroy, Clarke also brought in defenders Nathan Patterson, Greg Taylor and Liam Cooper, midfielders Kenny McLean, Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson and striker Che Adams football
It was always going to be a tough test against Les Blues, who qualified comfortably for Euro 2024 by winning their first six qualifiers football
Mbappe was part of a strong France side (Getty Images)Boss Didier Deschamps also freshened his side up from the 2-1 win over the Netherlands last Friday football
Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann kept their places while Ousmane Dembele and all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud came back into the side football
The kick-off was delayed for around 10 minutes due to the long queues at the stadium amid extra security measures put in place after two Swedish nationals were shot dead in Brussels the previous evening football
There was a minute’s silence before the game to commemorate that incident and it was a low-key start to the game on a pitch still showing markings from its use in the Rugby World Cup, before the Scots took an unexpected lead football
France defender Eduardo Camavinga cut out a pass from Gilmour inside the box but with a poor touch gave it straight back to the unmarked Brighton midfielder, who curled the ball low past goalkeeper Mike Maignan football
However, there was little time for the Tartan Army to enjoy the landmark goal as a Griezmann corner from the left five minutes later was all too easily glanced past Kelly by Inter Milan centre-back Pavard football
A refocused France side took control of the game and Mbappe skipped past Jack Hendry before crossing for Pavard again to head past Kelly from close range football
The visitors were struggling to get up the pitch and in the 40th minute France were awarded a penalty after referee Tobias Stieler went pitchside at the behest of VAR and judged Cooper had held Giroud inside the penalty area, with Mbappe stepping up to send the penalty past the diving Kelly, who got close but not close enough football
The Motherwell keeper did not look great moments later when he fumbled a shot from Dembele but the lurking Mbappe could not capitalise football
Hearts keeper Zander Clark replaced Kelly at the start of the second half to make his debut and Jacob Brown and John Souttar would take over from Adams and Cooper football
Giroud and Dembele made way for Marcus Thuram and Coman and in the 70th minute the latter thrashed a shot high past Clark after Griezmann had volleyed against the bar football
A low drive from Brown in a rare Scotland attack was pushed past the post by Maignan and the corner came to nothing before Ryan Christie and Stuart Armstrong came on for Gilmour and McLean football
Thuram rattled Clark’s crossbar with a drive and at the other Maignan made saves from Armstrong’s volley and Brown’s header but the game was already well gone for Scotland football
More aboutPA ReadySteve ClarkeKylian MbappeBilly GilmourBenjamin PavardOlivier GiroudScotland football footballFrance football FootballJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments 1/2Scotland come back to earth as France recover from early fright Scotland come back to earth as France recover from early frightMbappe was part of a strong France side Getty ImagesScotland come back to earth as France recover from early frightScotland qualified for Euro 2024 on Sunday Getty Images ✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today football
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Tyson Fury has vowed to fight Oleksandr Usyk for the chance to become the undisputed king of heavyweight football boxing as the Ukrainian confirmed their meeting on 23 December in Saudi Arabia football
Usyk was ringside for Fury’s unconvincing split-decision victory over ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou in Riyadh on Saturday night football
MMA star Ngannou shockingly went the distance in his football boxing debut, even knocking down reigning WBC heavyweight champion Fury at one point, but Fury remained undefeated football
Two judges gave Fury the fight by scores of 96-93 and 95-94, and the other judge favoured Ngannou 95-94 football
Fury’s championship belt was never on the line in this bout, though it counts as an official fight football
Good thing for Fury, because Ngannou showed early in the scheduled 10-round fight that he wasn’t going anywhere football
Afterwards Usyk, who owns the other three global heavyweight belts, turned attention to their showdown, saying: “It’s a big fight football
The whole world wants this fight football
We’re back in this ring, 23 December, thank you very much, I go to sleep football
”Fury said: “It’s been going on a long time, let’s do the fight, over here, for all the belts, the undisputed title of the world football
Listen, it’s not up to me, we’d go now football
These guys will sort it out, it’ll be my next fight guaranteed football
”Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said: “I don’t think the date will be announced just yet football
This fight is on football
Both fighters want it football
Tyson’s got a cut there football
We’ll see how it heals football
It’s the biggest fight in football boxing football
Everybody wants to see it football
They’ll see it in Saudi, it’ll break all box office records football
”Fury was knocked down by Ngannou (Getty Images)Fury had previously criticised the timing of an initial announcement of his fight with Usyk, which came out during his preparations for Ngannou football
“It wasn’t my choice,” the Briton, 35, said on The MMA Hour on Wednesday 25 October football
“I would never in a million years do that, but the people who are putting these fights on, who are paying the money, they’re in control football
They’re the promoters of the event football
“So, the paymaster does what the paymaster wants, basically football
But if it was up to me, I would have never, ever, ever done that, ever football
Because I never count chickens before they hatch, ever [ football
football
football
] They should never announce fights before the first one happens, because that’s how people get knocked out football
“But I’m not even looking at the next fight football
I’m only concentrating on Francis football
If it means breaking these two hands and getting a cut right through [my eyebrow] to win, I will do it football
Don’t worry about that football
Nothing else matters, only Saturday night football
“I wasn’t happy at first, for them to announce it, but there was a lot going on in the background football
For me, I don’t concentrate on any other fight other than Saturday night football
What happens in the future stays in the future football
“I’m living for today and this moment football
My moment now is to fight Francis for the ‘baddest man on the planet’ title, and when I’ve won that, only after I’ve won that, I won’t even think about my next [fight] until I’ve had a week off and spent some time with my family football
I’ve been in camp 12 weeks football
”More aboutTyson FuryOleksandr UsykFrancis NgannouSaudi ArabiaJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/2Fury and Usyk confirm date and venue for heavyweight unification fightFury and Usyk confirm date and venue for heavyweight unification fightFury was knocked down by Ngannou Getty ImagesFury and Usyk confirm date and venue for heavyweight unification fightTyson Fury makes his way to the ring in RiyadhGetty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today football
SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicsfootball BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy football
truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply football
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