France looks convincing Score 3-1 win over Italy in penultimate friendly before World Cup
France prevailed 3-1 over Italy here in the hosts’ penultimate international friendly before heading to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Facing an Italian side that is rebuilding after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years, the French looked solid overall in front of the roughly 35,000 spectators at Nice’s Allianz stadium on Friday evening.
After giving his subs plenty of minutes in Monday’s contest against Ireland, France coach Didier Deschamps fielded a squad very much like the one expected to start in Russia, led on offence by Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe with N’Golo Kante presiding in midfield and Samuel Umtiti anchoring the back line.
Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele, meanwhile, made his bid for a starting position with a burst of individual brilliance in the second half.
France jumped to a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute thanks to a goal by Umtiti, who slotted in a loose ball after a fine save by Italy goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.
France continued to press and when Italy’s Rolando Mandragora fouled Lucas Hernandez, the referee pointed to the spot and Griezmann converted to make it 2-0 in the 29th minute.
Italy pulled one back seven minutes later, as Leonardo Bonucci exploited a poor clearance by French keeper Hugo Lloris following a Mario Balotelli free kick.
The visitors were better after the break and France saw their dominance in possession evaporate.
South Korea stumbles
In Jeonju, South Korea, South Korea’s national side lost 1-3 to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a pre-World Cup friendly, a stinging defeat that comes less than two weeks before the start of the latest edition of football’s premier event.
The Koreans, who have been drawn into a group that features powerhouse Germany and another squad, Sweden, that qualified out of the daunting UEFA qualification zone, will need to do some soul-searching after a bad loss to a middling European side that did not qualify for Russia. Winger Edin Visca accounted for all three of Bosnia’s goals here on Friday, the first of which came in the 28th minute on a shot from the right side of the penalty box off a pass from defender Eldar Civic.
South Korea has been drawn into Group F of the World Cup and will take on Sweden on June 18, Mexico on June 23 and Germany on June 27.
Egypt holds Colombia
In Bergamo, Italy, Colombia dominated against Egypt in a FIFA World Cup tune-up for both teams that ended 0-0 as the South Americans struggled with a lack of finishing against a North African side focused on defence in the absence of injured star striker Mohamed Salah.
Roughly 2,000 Colombian supporters were among the crowd of 7,000 in the stands at Bergamo’s Atleti Azzurri d’Italia stadium here on Friday night.
Radamel Falcao, Colombia’s all-time leading scorer, just missed with a header in the 2nd minute and teammates James Rodriguez and Juan Cuadrado orchestrated a sustained attack that gave another half-a-dozen chances in the first half alone.
James hit the cross-bar with a thunderous free kick in the 35th minute, two minutes before Cuadrado sent the ball just over the top of the net.
And though Egypt saw very little of the ball, midfielder Trezeguet threw a scare into Colombian defenders Yerry Mina and Davinson Sanchez with a charge into the box.
Colombia coach Jose Pekerman made wholesale changes to start the second half and his side kept the fatigued Egyptians trapped in their own half.
Tunisia, Turkey draw
Turkey and Tunisia battled to a 2-2 draw in an international friendly as the North African side continue their preparations for the World Cup, where they are drawn in Group G along with Belgium, England and Panama.