England humbled by lively French side at Wembley Stadium
England suffered defeat to France in an entertaining friendly encounter at London's Wembley Stadium on Wednesday 17 November, winning 2–1.
England were exposed by the superior movement and technique of Laurent Blanc's French side, who won the game after goals from Karim Benzema and Mathieu Valbuena did enough to render Peter Crouch's late
strike incosequential.
Capello fielded a side that included debutants Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll, as well as left-back Kieran Gibbs, who made his first England start in the game.
The first chance would come from a veteran, though, as Steven Gerrard hit a free kick from 30 yards straight at Hugo Lloris in the second minute.
Seven minutes later, Chelsea's Florent Malouda got France's first chance, producing a low strike towards Ben Foster's far corner that the keeper collected with ease.
Yoann Gourcuff then picked up a nervous clearance by the English defence, firing a hard strike that Foster could only put behind for a corner kick.
Benzema scores a deserved first
The French team were rewarded for their superior fluidity with 16 minutes gone, when Benzema played a one-two with Malouda on the edge of the box before finding enough space to hit a low strike towards
Foster's near corner for the opener.
Another fine move should have seen the striker claim a second in the 28th minute, but this time the Real Madrid man's balance failed him as he tried to finish with his left from a narrow angle.
Gerrard got another chance when Carroll knocked the ball down towards the Liverpool captain, but the midfielder slipped as he prepared to shoot and failed to hit the target.
Ten minutes into the second half, Valbuena added France's second as the team's attack left England on the back foot.
Bacary Sagna was released on the right flank, skipping past his Arsenal teammate Gibbs and delivering a measured cross that the midfielder had no problem tucking into the far corner on the volley.
Gerrard continues to inspire England
In the 63rd minute, Gerrard got yet another chance when an English free kick bounced once in the area before the 30-year-old headed it over Lloris and onto the top of the crossbar.
The Liverpudlian then sent a cross for Carroll from the left with 70 minutes gone, but the striker's header was couldn't challenge the well-placed Lloris.
Gerrard stormed into the box in the 81st minute, nearly converting a loose ball that had been spilled by Lloris before Samir Nasri cut outside the English defence and hit the outside of the post with a
strike.
England got their consolation 5 minutes later, when substitute Crouch found space at the back post to volley a corner into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
Striker Jay Bothroyd, who came on for Carroll to make his first international appearance, tested Lloris with a header in added time, but Capello's men never looked like overcoming the French team for the
first time since 1997.
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