France strengthened its position for the Euro 2024 finals on Thursday, maintaining a flawless record with a 2-0 home win over Ireland. Because the Stade de France needed to be preserved for the France vs. New Zealand Rugby World Cup opener, the match was moved to the Parc des Princes. The victory was secured via goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Marcus Thuram. With six consecutive wins, France now leads Group B by 15 points, holding a nine-point advantage over the Netherlands, who secured a 3-0 win against Greece but have played two games fewer.
For Ireland, however, this was a disappointing third loss in four matches, leaving them in fourth place. It's looking unlikely that Stephen Kenny's side will make it to next summer's tournament in Germany, but they must refocus quickly for their crucial home game against the Netherlands this Sunday, September 10. France's schedule remains busy, with a friendly against Germany in Dortmund on Tuesday, September 12, followed by a qualifying trip to the Netherlands on October 13.
France's dominance in the middle of the park led to the opening goal in the 19th minute, when Tchouameni unleashed a stunning strike from distance after a beautiful piece of skill from Kylian Mbappe. During the match, Giroud had to be substituted due to a left ankle injury and was replaced by Marcus Thuram. The substitute made an immediate impact shortly after halftime, scoring his first ever goal for the national team by turning and shooting after Mbappe's attempt was deflected toward him.
The French defense remained airtight thanks to a brilliant save by Mike Maignan to stop Chiedozie Ogbene, meaning France has yet to concede a single goal in this qualifying campaign. Tchouameni nearly scored again with a powerful effort that was saved by Gavin Bazunu, while Ousmane Dembele—who spent much of the first half terrorizing the Irish defense—came close to adding a third, but his shot hit the woodwork.
Manager Didier Deschamps used the game to rotate his squad and give several players some minutes. Kingsley Coman and William Saliba stepped in for Dembele and Lucas Hernandez, while Eduardo Camavinga and Benjamin Pavard replaced Antoine Griezmann and Jules Kounde.
In other action, Hungary managed a 2-1 comeback win over Serbia to maintain their unbeaten streak in their qualifying group. This result puts Hungary at the top of Group G with 10 points, leading the previously undefeated Serbs by three. Hungary continues its strong form, having lost only once in their last 11 outings.