- France made history with a record-breaking 14-0 victory against 10-man Gibraltar on Saturday night at Allianz Riviera Stadium
- The Les Bleus finished the game with 39 shots on goal, compared to none for Gibraltar
France made history with a record-breaking 14-0 victory against 10-man Gibraltar on Saturday night at Allianz Riviera Stadium. They broke the previous record of 10-0 against Azerbaijan in 1995, while also racking up the biggest landslide in the history of European Championship qualification.
France got into the match with qualification for next year’s tournament already sealed, having taken maximum points from their previous six matches. Own goal from Ethan Santos put Didier Deschamps’ side in front just three minutes into the match. Marcus Thuram and teenager Warren Zaire-Emery then increased France’s lead to 3-0 after quarter an hour.
France finished the game with 39 shots on goal. Photo/ Goal.com.
Things went from bad to worse for Gibraltar in the 18th minute when Ethan Santos, who had conceded an own goal, was sent off. France continued to dominate the game with Kylian Mbappe, Kingsley Coman, Jonathan Clauss and Youssouf Fofana all scoring before the end of the first half.
Mbappe scored two more goals in the second half to get his hat-trick of the match and go third in France’s all-time scoring list. Adrien Rabiot, Coman, substitute Ousmane Dembele also scored in the second half as Olivier Giroud grabbed a brace in the dying minutes of the match.
How France Destroyed Gibraltar
France faced Gibraltar having already secured a spot in next year’s Germany tournament. However, they played like they badly needed to win the match and ended up thrashing Gibraltar 14-0 at Allianz Riviera Stadium.
Ethan Santos turned Jonathan Clauss’ cross into his own net after three minutes of play to give France an early lead. Marcus Thuram made in 2-0 shortly after and then two soon became three after the quarter hour as Warren Zaire-Emery fired a superb finish into the roof of the net.
Zaire-Emery, who was making his debut for the national team, became France’s youngest player since 1914. He played the match at 17 years, eight months and 11 days. Scoring was an ideal way for the teenager to make his debut but his joy lasted only a few minutes as he left the pitch injured.
Ethan Santos had stamped on Zaire-Emery while he was striking the ball, which resulted in an injury for the youngster and a red card for the Gibraltar defender. France coach Didier Deschamps said initial tests showed the injury on Zaire-Emery was not too serious.
“We were worried because the ankle flared up quickly. Scans showed there is no fracture, but it’s a pretty big sprain. I’m sure he’d rather remember his first appearance for his goal than for anything negative.” Didier Deschamps told broadcaster TF1, as per AP News.
Kylian Mbappe, who had been relatively quiet for the majority of the first half, made it 4-0 from the penalty spot in the 30th minute. He then assisted Jonathan Clauss’ goal four minutes later, with the Marseille left-back drilling in his effort from outside the box.
Kingsley Coman, who was having a field day down the right flank, eventually got on the scoreboard in the 36th minute. The Bayern Munich winger pounced on a loose ball in the danger area and then comfortably slotted past Gibraltar goalkeeper Dayle Coleing.
Youssouf Fofana, who replaced Zaire-Emery, then scored France’s seventh goal in a destructive first half. Gibraltar initially denied the hosts a chance to score after the restart but eventually conceded in the 63rd minute, thanks to Adrien Rabiot’s strike.
France’s goalscoring continued afterwards, with Coman getting his second of the night. With the scoreline 9-0, Didier Deschamps opted to make a few changes, replacing Kingsley Coman, Adrien Rabiot and Marcus Thuram with Ousmane Dembele, Boubacar Kamara and Olivier Giroud, respectively.
Kylian Mbappe scored three as France put 14 past Gibraltar. Photo/ Independent.ie.
Dembele scored France’s tenth goal of the night barely seven minutes after coming on. Mbappe then scored the historic eleventh goal before finding his hat-trick in the 82nd minute. Olivier Giroud then scored two late goals to make it 14-0 and finish off an emphatic night.
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