..::Football III::..

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Van Persie: I wanted to start 100th game

Robin van Persie celebrated reaching 100 caps towards the end of Netherlands' 2-1 victory over Kazakhstan, but he wishes he was given the opportunity to start the crucial qualifier.

Goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Wesley Sneijder threw the Oranje a lifeline with one game left of the Euro 2016 campaign, although the nation are still dependent on Turkey slipping up at home to Iceland to reach the play-offs.

But Van Persie, who came off the bench to reach his century of appearances, insisted he was fine to feature from kick-off.

"The important thing is that we won," said the striker to De Telegraaf. "But I would have rather started.

In reference to the two injured goalkeepers, the 32-year-old added: "What is worse is that Tim Krul is likely to have a serious knee injury and Jasper Cillessen is also out."

Coach Danny Blind did not think Van Persie was fit enough to start the crucial match, an opinion the Fenerbahce striker did not share.

"I'm very fit. I often played with aches for the Netherlands, but that was not the case today," he affirmed. "But again, it's not all about me. It's about winning for the team. "

 

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European Championship Qualifying Group Stage Fixtures 2015.10.11

European Championship Qualifying Group Stage Fixtures 2015.10.11

Group F

Faroe Islands Vs Romania

Finland Vs Nothern Ireland

Greece Vs Hungary

Group I

Armenia Vs Albania

Serbia Vs Portugal

Group D

Germany Vs Georgia

Gibraltar Vs Scotland

Poland Vs Republic of Ireland​

 

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International Friendly Fixture 2015.10.11

International Friendly Fixture 2015.10.11

Denmark Vs France​

 

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Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 Wales: Coleman's men end 57-year finals drought despite defeat

Wales qualified for Euro 2016 despite suffering a 2-0 defeat to Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Stadion Bilino Polje.

Congratz Wales

http://www.elakiri.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

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Klopp: I can't walk on water like Jesus

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called for patience amid the wave of hysteria sweeping through Anfield, insisting he cannot work miracles.

Klopp ended his four-month sabbatical to replace Brendan Rodgers as Reds boss on Thursday and the charismatic German has already been billed as the man capable of finally bringing the glory days back to Liverpool.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund coach is aware of the hype surrounding him as well as Liverpool's 25-year wait for a league title, and while he believes he can improve the team, he has called for fans and media to have realistic expectations.

"If you want to see Liverpool be more successful than in the last 25 years, you can do your small part, of course," said Klopp.

"If you want to portray me like Jesus, but then the next day say, 'no, he can't walk on water', then we have a problem.

"I can't walk on water. I dive into it.

"Expectations are important in life. After all this hype, we can cool down and talk about football. But expectations are one of the most important things we have to talk about.

"Liverpool fans have been waiting for so many years that I can understand they are losing patience, but it doesn't work like that. Some things will change, because I am different to other managers, but we cannot change the whole world in one day.

"I don't want to use my three-year contract as an excuse and after that three years say, 'Well, now we can rise up'. No, I want to change as many things as soon as possible, but it is really important that we are patient enough to be successful."

 

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Hazard: Belgium deserve Euro 2016 qualification

Eden Hazard was delighted to help Belgium seal qualification for Euro 2016 with a 4-1 win over Andorra on Saturday.

The Chelsea winger wore the captain's armband in the absence of the injured Vincent Kompany and saw his side move top of Group B thanks to a comprehensive away victory, with the only negative being a goal conceded from the penalty spot early in the second half.

Radja Nainggolan, Kevin De Bruyne and debutant Laurent Depoitre were the Belgium scorers along with Hazard, who had two opportunities from the penalty spot and scored one, but had his second effort saved.

After reaching the World Cup quarter-finals in 2014, Belgium have now reached the Euros for the first time since they co-hosted the event in 2000, and Hazard was delighted to get the job done.

"Qualifying is always nice," the 24-year-old - who has now scored five goals in his last seven internationals - told RTBF .

"In this game, we did the job well and we deserve to qualify. They did not want to be walked over but overall we managed the game well except for the first 10 minutes of the second half.

"Some of their players have asked for my jersey during the game but I did not have enough to give them! It is always nice. They have the chance to play against the professionals - we must remember that they are amateurs. We have a lot of respect for them.

"It will be a game to savour on Tuesday in front of our own fans - we will have a nice party. We are in France now and it feels nice."

On missing his second penalty attempt of the match, Hazard joked: "The goalkeepers are getting to know me now!"

Belgium's final qualifier on Tuesday is a home clash against Israel, who need a positive result if they are to stand any chance of beating Bosnia-Herzegovina to third place behind Marc Wilmots' side and Wales.

 

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Mascherano: Benitez believed in me and pulled me out of a hole

Barcelona's Javier Mascherano has credited Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez with saving his career.

Benitez took the Argentine to Liverpool from West Ham in 2007 at a time when he was playing very few games, with Mascherano developing into one of the Reds' stars and earning a move to Barca.

And the 31-year-old says he is eternally grateful to the Spaniard for the belief he showed in him.

"Rafa Benitez wanted me and believed in me at the lowest point of my career and he was asking me to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world – Liverpool,' he told Panenka Magazine.

"From then on, he became a very important person for me. Not only on a day-to-day basis, but also for my future and I hope I repaid him with my efforts.

"When he coaches he always looks to get the best out of every player, like he did with me, something for which I will be eternally grateful.

"He lifted me out of a dark hole, which at the time made me feel like I was 20 metres underground, and he put me in a positive frame of mind."

Mascherano will come up against his former mentor when Barcelona play Madrid in the first El Clasico of the season on November 21.

 

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'Liverpool considered signing Bale… but they had Riise!'

Jamie Carragher claimed former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez thought Gareth Bale was no better than left-back John Arne Riise.

Carragher said after breaking into the Southampton team, Benitez looked into signing Bale but decided not to pursue him, instead preferring to stick with Riise.
The Welshman eventually joined Tottenham in 2007, before making a world record move to Real Madrid six years later.

Benitez and Bale are now working together in the Spanish capital, but Carragher admitted it was difficult for the former to envisage the 27-year-old's rise to the top of football.

"He [Bale] has come so far since making his way at Southampton. When he broke into their team, Rafa Benitez looked at signing him for Liverpool," Carragher wrote for the Daily Mail.

"Bale was playing as a left back then and Rafa didn't think he was any better than John Arne Riise, so he never pursued it.

"Clearly the Bale that Benitez now manages is a completely different prospect.

"Bale has been a success in Madrid, his stunning solo goal against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final and the header that gave Real the lead against Atletico Madrid [in the Champions League final] were both moments that only the special ones produce."

Carragher went on to say that Bale has the potential to be one of the greatest players Great Britain has ever produced.

"Is he good enough to take a team to European domination, just as Dalglish did? I believe he is," Carragher added.

"What he has helped Wales achieve is remarkable."

"Should he back it up with even greater displays at club level, entry to the pantheon awaits."

 

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Bale can cope with Real Madrid pressure - Beckham

Former Real Madrid midfielder David Beckham says he is impressed by how well Gareth Bale has been coping with the pressure at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Wales international joined Madrid from Tottenham in September 2013 for a world record €100 million and impressed in his first season at the club - scoring in Copa del Rey and Champions League final victories.

However, he received his fair share of criticism last term due to some underwhelming displays, but Beckham is impressed with the way Bale has managed to hold his own in the Spanish capital.

"I got to know Gareth when I trained at Tottenham a few years ago – and he’s a fantastic guy with so much talent," Beckham told the Daily Star.

"I wasn't surprised when Real Madrid signed him for the amount they did. But, obviously, with that comes a lot of pressure.

"And when you are at Real Madrid, whether you sign for £1m or £100m, there is always pressure on you to perform.
"In his first season Gareth won the Champions League and scored in the final – that was unbelievable for him.

"But for me it is now that Gareth is showing why he is such a great character."

Bale, who recently returned to the pitch after a calf problem, has netted twice in five appearances in all competitions for Madrid in 2015-16.

 

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Klopp: I made Lewandowski a star

Jurgen Klopp believes Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski would not have been the player he is now if it were not for his guidance at Borussia Dortmund.

The recently appointed Liverpool manager coached Lewandowski at Signal Iduna Park between 2010 and 2014 and hopes to be equally important in the careers of some of his new club's promising youngsters.

The Poland international joined Dortmund from Lech Poznan as a relative unknown and has since developed into one of the most sought-after attackers in the game and is currently in incredible form for Bayern.

Klopp has highlighted his role in Lewandowski's development and hopes some of Liverpool's hot prospects can follow the same career path under his tutelage.

"The biggest satisfaction you can get is when you take a player like Lewandowski from Poland, from a small club and watch him playing today," Klopp said.

"The difference between that player and the player he is today is unbelievable. I'm not self-confident enough to think I have had the only role in his development, but of course I did play a big part.
"We all know the best players of today. Tomorrow we don't know who it will be, so we can work on this. The will to improve is the most important thing for a Klopp player. Character.

"When I manage a club, each young player should smile because the chance is bigger for them than it ever was. The door is pretty wide open and I don't care about experience. Experience is an important point, but not the most important.

"Of course if a player is on a top level already and you can hold this for two or three years, then everything is perfect. But the young guns are very interesting. That’s what I enjoy doing."

 

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Klopp try karai LEWA wa Liverpool ganna next summer 1ke​

 

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Sir Alex reveals why Man Utd rejected Silva

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed Manchester United opted out of signing David Silva because of doubts over the Manchester City man's ability to contribute in defence.

The 29-year-old was playing for Valencia at the time and being followed by a number of Europe’s biggest clubs, before joining City for a reported £24 million in the summer of 2010.

Silva has since made over 200 appearances for City, helping them win two league titles and the FA Cup, but Sir Alex was unconvinced by the player's ability to fit in with his team's mentality at Old Trafford.

"We watched Silva a lot when he was at Valencia," the Scotsman revealed in an interview promoting his new book.

"My problem with [Silva playing as a No.10] was you have to be very, very good to play in that position, because there's no defensive duties for them.

"So if you're wanting to be be really successful, everyone has to take their turn, has to work, you know? So I had a difficulty with that."

Ferguson, however, did concede that a number of the game's finest players built their reputations in the No.10 position.

He added: "You could say Lionel Messi was a No.10 type, [Diego] Maradona, some fantastic players, and I don't dispute that.

"But at United we always found it difficult. The kind of No.10 I used came from my experience as a footballer."

 

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Neymar: Messi, Suarez and I silenced critics

Barcelona attacker Neymar feels he, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have proved that critics who claimed the three were not compatible were completely wrong.

A number of former players and pundits questioned Barcelona's decision to bring in Suarez after the 2014 World Cup as they felt the Uruguay international did not fit the Catalans' style and could not play in the same team as Neymar and Messi.

However, Barcelona's attacking trident - nicknamed MSN - impressed in 2014-15, scoring a combined 122 goals in all competitions as Barcelona won the Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey, and Neymar believes they have well and truly silenced their critics.

"Some said we wouldn't get along well, but I knew they were wrong," Neymar told the official Barcelona website.

"I think we surprised everyone. Before I came to Barcelona, they said I would be fighting with Leo and with other players as well.

"I knew that was not going to happen because those sort of things don't affect me.

"Messi has helped me a lot since I joined Barcelona.

"And we have a friendship both on and off the pitch with Suarez. We are really happy with how things are going on the pitch."

 

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Giroud: Wenger right to drop me & start Walcott

Olivier Giroud admits that he can have no complaints over Arsene Wenger's decision to leave him out of Arsenal's starting XI of late.

Giroud has made a stuttering start to the 2015-16 campaign and has only featured as a second-half substitute in each of the Gunners' last five Premier League matches.

England forward Theo Walcott has been the preferred option in attack and former Montpellier striker Giroud is under no illusions that he must improve if he is to win back his place in the team.

"It [not starting] is something new for me. Whether it was at Tours, Montpellier or Arsenal, I have never experienced a situation like this, I have often played from the start," he is quoted in L'Equipe. "I need to take positives and to harden myself mentally. I cannot simply take refuge in work.

"At Arsenal, I am in competition with Theo [Walcott] for the striker position. But he is doing well at the moment, so there is no reason to change. I was in his place in previous seasons at Arsenal. I imagine what he must have been thinking. But I feel that the coach believes in me.

"It has been for several matches now that I have played less, that is for sure, but I do not need to be worried. I need a bit more game time but also to believe more in my abilities."

 

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Reus & Gundogan to Liverpool? Dortmund say Klopp is no poacher

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke is not concerned newly appointed Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will attempt to lure any of his former players to Anfield without the Bundesliga side's consent.

Klopp enjoyed a successful spell in charge of Dortmund between 2008 and 2015 and still holds a fine relationship with many members of the Bundesliga team.
Recent reports have suggested Klopp could try to lure Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan to Liverpool, but Dortmund are confident their former coach would not approach any players without previously contacting his ex-club.

"Jurgen would never do anything that would damage BVB's interests," Watzke told Bild am Sonntag.

"I am 100 per cent certain about that. He would never approach any players behind our back.

"We are simply too close for things like that to happen. We have been through too much together."

Liverpool have not won the title since 1990, but Watzke is confident Klopp can guide them to silverware again.

"This is a great move for both Jurgen and Liverpool. He can get them back to greatness. We don't even have to talk about that.

"I am convinced that he will be as successful at Liverpool as he was at Dortmund."

 

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Scudetto race is wide open - Garcia

Roma boss Rudi Garcia says the Scudetto race is wide open thanks to Juventus' stuttering start to the campaign.

Juve have cantered to four successive Scudetti and in 2014-15 finished 17 points clear of Garcia's Giallorossi, who fell off the pace dramatically after the winter break.

However, Juve have only won two of their opening seven matches and have been beaten by Udinese, Roma and Napoli - leaving them 10 points behind early leaders Fiorentina, and six adrift of Garcia's men.With Fiorentina, Inter and Lazio all showing impressive early form, Garcia is relishing the title battle this season and hopes Roma can be part of that tussle come May.

"It is a much more open Scudetto race after four years in which Juventus were champions of Italy four times in a row and beat the record for points in 2013-14," he told Telefoot."This season the title battle is far more open and we have to make sure we're up there all the way to the end.

"Our objective is to qualify for the Champions League, but it is our ambition to do as well as possible."

 

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Mata recalls Euro final on return to Ukraine

Spain's return to the scene of their Euro 2012 final victory in Ukraine is a "fantastic" feeling, Juan Mata has said.

Mata scored the final goal in an emphatic 4-0 win over Italy in Kiev three years ago as Spain defended the European title they won in 2008.

With Vicente del Bosque's side set to conclude their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign at Kiev's Olympic Stadium on Monday, the Manchester United forward is excited to set foot on the famous pitch once again.

"I have good memories of this stadium. The final in Euro 2012 was beautiful. It's fantastic to return," he said.

"The memories have been coming back ever since we reached the hotel. It was an unforgettable day. I was proud to have taken part that day."

Spain have already sealed their place in the finals in France next year but Mata is determined to sign off qualifying with a strong showing.

"We know we've qualified but we want to put in a good performance. I'm sure it'll be a difficult game," he said.

"This team has something if we play at a high level. We're ready to give our best.

"We've seen a lot of Ukraine's games. They're a very complete team and it'll be difficult to win tomorrow."

Defender Mikel San Jose is expecting a tough test against Ukraine's attack - especially with Mykhaylo Fomenko's side needing to better Slovakia's result against Luxembourg if they are to claim the second automatic qualifying spot.

"Ukraine are a great team with few weaknesses," said the Athletic Bilbao man. "They're very strong in attack. It'll be a good game."

 

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Del Bosque: Spain should aim for Euro 2012 standard

Vicente del Bosque wants Spain to recapture the form they showed in the Euro 2012 final on their return to Ukraine on Monday.

An emphatic 4-0 win over Italy in the showpiece in Kiev three years ago saw Spain become the first side to win back-to-back European Championships, which came either side of a World Cup triumph following their victory over Netherlands in South Africa in 2010.

As he prepares to take his side back to the scene of their triumph in Ukraine - 16 months after a World Cup 2014 group stage exit - Del Bosque admits it remains the finest performance he has seen from his side in his seven-year spell in the role.
"The final in Kiev in 2012 was the best game in my time as head coach. I hope we can reach that standard again," he told reporters.

"We come here at an ideal time. We'll play with complete courage and interest in the game. Ukraine are looking to qualify but, as sportsmen, we have to try to stop them."Spain are already assured qualification for Euro 2016, while Ukraine need to better Slovakia's result against Luxembourg if they are to progress automatically, and Del Bosque wants to see his players seize their chance to impress.

"We come to Kiev having qualified but that doesn't mean we're not motivated for tomorrow," said the 64-year-old."I've decided the starting XI and there will be changes from Logrono. I think it's the best that we can do.

"Paco Alcacer will start. He's on a good run of form and we need to take advantage of that. Nolito opens up the space and gives us good depth. He's able to help us unlock tight defences."Ukraine are a strong team. They have good width."

 

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Serbia 1-2 Portugal: Matic and Kolarov see red mist amid Nani and Moutinho goals

Portugal made it seven consecutive wins in competitive fixtures under Fernando Santos as they overcame nine-man Serbia2-1 in their final Euro 2016 qualifier in Belgrade.

The Iberian side recovered from defeat in their opening Group I fixture against Albania – when Paulo Bento was at the helm – to book their place in France with a 1-0 win over Denmark on October 8, so Santos took the chance to rest key players for their trip to Serbia.

The most notable absentee was captain Cristiano Ronaldo, but Nani – wearing the armband in the Real Madrid forward's stead – stepped up with the opening goal inside five minutes.

Radovan Curcic's men – only playing for pride after a turbulent campaign that included a three-point deduction following crowd trouble in their clash with Albania – took time to recover from the early strike, but finally equalised after 65 minutes through Zoran Tosic.

However, the hosts were made to rue their missed chances as Joao Moutinho curled home from 20 yards 12 minutes from time, keeping Santos' 100 per cent record in qualifying intact.

Things got even worse for Serbia late on, as Aleksandar Kolarov and Nemanja Matic were dismissed, ending their campaign with the same ill-discipline with which it started.

Serbia immediately went on the attack inside a buoyant Stadion Partizana, earning a corner inside the opening minute. Adem Ljajic's delivery only needed the slightest of touches from Dusko Tosic to divert it into the back of the net, but the defender could not oblige.That initial promise soon evaporated, though, as Portugal took the lead with five minutes played.

Danny tore through the Serbia defence before pulling a save from Vladimir Stojkovic with a stabbed effort from the top of the box, but Nani was on hand to convert on the follow-up.

Fernando Santos' men quickly became more reserved in attack, instead focusing on maintaining a solid defence and forcing the hosts out into the wide areas.As a result, it took Serbia a while to forge meaningful openings.

Ljajic called the Portuguese into action in the 38th minute shortly after a tame effort from Tosic, but his shot from an acute angle was batted away at the near post following a neat one-two with Aleksandar Mitrovic.

The Inter man continued to be the hosts' greatest threat after the interval, dragging a strike wide of the target following a cutback from Kolarov in the 53rd minute.

Matic and Tosic both went close before Portugal's resistance was finally broken just past the hour, with the latter firing home from 12 yards following Kolarov's low delivery to the penalty spot.Portugal were not to be denied a seventh straight win in Group I, though, as Moutinho, picked out by a clever cutback from Eliseu, bent an exquisite shot into the top-right corner in the 78th minute.

The goal caused Serbia to lose their cool, with Kolarov shown two bookings in the space of a minute – the second of which came after being substituted – before Matic was also dismissed for an elbow on Andre Andre.

Portugal were joined in the automatic qualification spots by Albania after they beat Armenia 3-0, leaving Denmark to contest the play-offs.

 

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Denmark 1-2 France: Giroud at the double as Blues cruise

France convincingly saw off Denmark with a 2-1 friendly win away at Parken Stadium as Olivier Giroud netted his first goals in six games for his country with a brace inside six minutes.With four minutes on the clock the Blues were ahead, as Giroud collected Anthony Martial’s accurate through ball before slipping under Kasper Schmeichel.

Just two minutes later and the Arsenal striker had his second of the evening after a quick counter-attack. Schmeichel did well to keep out his first attempt from Lucas Digne’s cross but was unable to prevent Giroud smashing the rebound past him.

Denmark pulled one back in stoppage time to give the home supporters some consolation, as Erik Sviatchenko struck a stunning strike past Steve Mandanda from 25-yards out.

Giroud proved that he is capable of filling in for the injured Karim Benzema, with the Real Madrid striker absent after suffering a thigh injury during France's 4-0 win over Armenia on Thursday.Back in the starting line-up and Giroud was the star, netting two early goals as Denmark seemingly had their thoughts elsewhere.

The hosts began the game under a cloud of disappointment after Albania's 3-0 defeat of Armenia earlier in the day forced Denmark to settle for a European Championship play-off place and that appeared to breed lethargy.

France were two up by the sixth minute, as Giroud netted a quickfire double with the help of unconvincing goalkeeping from Kasper Schmeichel on both occasions.

Denmark scored only eight goals in their qualifying campaign and continued to struggle in the final third, with Nicklas Bendtner a very isolated figure.

The visitors should have made the score even more comfortable, as Anthony Martial and Giroud spurned fine second-half chances, and although Erik Sviatchenko scored a stunning late goal for the Danes, France always looked set for a fourth successive win.

The news that Denmark had missed out on an automatic Euro 2016 qualification spot in Group I seemed to impact on the team's mentality and within four minutes they were behind.

The lively Martial cut in from the right and played a clever disguised pass into the area for Giroud and the striker fired beyond Schmeichel, who let the ball squeeze under him.

And the Arsenal forward proved decisive again just two minutes later, meeting Lucas Digne's cross with a volley that Schmeichel parried straight back to him, allowing an easy finish at the second opportunity.

The beleaguered Danes could have fallen three behind with just half an hour played, as France captain Raphael Varane headed Antoine Griezmann's cross agonisingly wide.

Denmark did eventually worry France in the 36th minute, but Varane made an important block at the near post to deny Christian Eriksen after being fed by Michael Krohn-Dehli.

Morten Olsen opted to replace Jakob Poulsen with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the break, though there was little change in Denmark's fortunes, as France continued to look the brighter.Martial was the visitors' most potent threat going forwards and went close twice in quick succession, first blazing just over in the 54th minute, before racing down the left and testing Schmeichel at the near post a few moments later.

Giroud should have completed his hat-trick 24 minutes from time, as he attempted to chip Schmeichel when through on goal and shot straight at the Leicester City goalkeeper.

Denmark pulled one back in stoppage time, with Sviatchenko smashing an outstanding effort into the top-left corner from 30 yards, but it was too little too late as France cruised to an easy win.