Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Lacazette double not enough to deny Germany
AN injury time Lars Stindl goal earned Germany a 2-2 draw in a heavyweight friendly battle against France in Cologne.
Alexandre Lacazette twice put the visitors ahead, with Timo Werner netting the first equaliser for the Germans.
France looked set to hold on and make it three victories in a row against Germany, who they beat in the European Championship semi-finals last summer, only for Stindl to equalise with virtually the final kick of the game.
World Cup hosts Russia secured a morale-boosting 3-3 draw with Spain, fighting back from two goals down.
Jordi Alba opened the scoring in the ninth minute before Sergio Ramos netted the first of two penalties.
But Fyodor Smolov pulled one back just before half-time, with Aleksei Miranchuk equalising soon after. Ramos then scored from the spot again two minutes later but Smolov secured parity with a 70th-minute leveller.
It was a landmark night f or Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku as he became Belgium’s all-time leading scorer.
The 24-year-old netted his 31st goal for his country in the 72nd minute to earn the Red Devils a 1-0 victory over Japan.
Holland were comfortable 3-0 winners over Romania.
Memphis Depay made the breakthrough two minutes after the break, and there were further strikes from Ryan Babel and Luuk de Jong.
Austria were 2-1 victors against Uruguay, Louis Schaub scoring a late winner after Edinson Cavani had cancelled out Marcel Sabitzer’s opener.