France Maintain Winning Start, Netherlands Bounce Back
28 March, 2023
Republic of Ireland 0-1 France
France kept their 100 percent record in Group B after edging Republic of Ireland at Aviva Stadium.
Les Bleus made only three changes to the side that thrashed Netherlands, as Benjamin Pavard, Eduardo Camavinga and Olivier Giroud came into the line-up.
Ireland gave France a lot of resistance in the first stanza but Didier Deschamps' charges eventually cracked the code early in the second stanza courtesy of Pavard, who scored with a wonder striker from the edge of the box.
Netherlands 3-0 Gibraltar
Netherlands got their Group B campaign up and running after a resounding 3-0 win over ten-man Gibraltar at De Kuip.
The Dutch reserved Cody Gakpo following their heavy defeat to France, as Memphis Depay and Steven Berghuis supported Wout Weghorst up top. Depay broke the deadlock
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for the Oranje on 25 minutes with a header from a cross by Denzel Damfries. Gakpo was eventually introduced at half-time as Ronald Koeman's troops went 2-0 up five minutes later after a header by Nathan Ake, from another delivery by Damfries.Gibraltar's chances of rescuing the game evaporated a couple of minutes later after Liam Walker was red-carded for a bad tackle and was sent off, with the visitors reduced to ten men.
Ake rubbed salt into the visitors' wounds as he made it 3-0 with eight minutes to go and completed his brace with a deflected shot in the box
Poland 1-0 Albania
Poland got their first points in Group E after a narrow 1-0 win over Albania at PGE Narodowy
Karol Swiderski broke the deadlock for the Poles just before the interval and that was enough to give them their first points in the section.
Sweden 5-0 Azerbaijan
Sweden got their Group F campaign up and running in style after drubbing Azerbaijan 5-0 at Friends Arena.
Emil Forsberg broke the deadlock for Sweden towards the interval and an own goal by Bahlul Mustafazada on 65 minutes gave the hosts a two-goal.
Viktor Gyokeres put the result beyond doubt with 11 minutes to go. Jesper Karlsson and Anthony Elanga put the icing on the cake for the Blue and Yellow with two late goals.
Montenegro 0-2 Serbia
Serbia maintained their perfect start in Group G after beating Montenegro 2-0 at Stadion Pod Goricom.
The sides were deadlocked heading into the break but Dusan Vlahovic got the breakthrough for Serbia 12 minutes before time.
The Juventus striker made the points safe and completed his brace in second-half stoppage time.
Source: www.snl24.com
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