France edge past Austria in narrow opener
France scrape past Austria 1-0 to kick off their Euro 2024 campaign. Mbappe's deflected cross secures a narrow win, while Austria rue missed chances.
France edge past Austria in narrow opener
Vienna, Austria - France began their UEFA Euro 2024 campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna on Monday.
Mbappe's cross forces Wober own goal
The only goal of the game came in the 38th minute when Kylian Mbappe's cross was deflected into the net by Austria defender Maximilian Wober. France had the better of the chances throughout the game, but they were unable to add to their lead.
Austria threaten late on
Austria came close to an equalizer in the 89th minute when Marcel Sabitzer's shot was saved by Hugo Lloris, but France held on to secure all three points.
Deschamps delighted with winning start
France manager Didier Deschamps was delighted with his side's winning start to the tournament. "It was a tough game, but we got the win," he said. "We're always happy to start a tournament with a victory, and this gives us a good foundation to build on."
Frustration for Austria boss Rangnick
Austria boss Ralf Rangnick was frustrated with his side's defeat. "We deserved at least a point from the game," he said. "We created some good chances, but we couldn't take them. We need to be more clinical in front of goal if we want to progress in this tournament."
Match statistics
| Statistic | France | Austria |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 52% | 48% |
| Shots | 14 | 11 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 4 |
| Corners | 6 | 3 |
| Fouls | 13 | 11 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
Conclusion
France made a hard-fought start to their Euro 2024 campaign with a 1-0 victory over Austria. They will now face Romania in their next Group F match on Friday. Austria, meanwhile, will need to improve in front of goal if they want to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.
Key talking points
- France continue their impressive record at major tournaments.
- Austria rue missed chances in front of goal.
- Kylian Mbappe again proves his worth to France.
Did you know?
- This was France's 100th victory under manager Didier Deschamps.
- Austria have never won a European Championship match against France.
- Kylian Mbappe has now scored 30 goals for France, making him the youngest player to reach that milestone.
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