It took a stunning goal for World Cup champion France to get its first win in international soccer’s newest competition on Sunday.
Not from superstar Kylian Mbappe — who did tap in the first goal of France’s 2-1 win over the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League game — and not from Antoine Griezmann or Paul Pogba, as France fielded all 10 outfield starters from the World Cup final.
Instead, Olivier Giroud, with one thunderous left-foot volley in the 75th minute at Stade de France, matched his entire tally of on-target efforts during seven games in Russia.
The Chelsea forward’s first goal in 11 games for France was his 32nd for Les Bleus — one more than Zinedine Zidane.
Elsewhere in the Nations League, Denmark’s star players returned after a brief strike to beat Wales 2-0, and Georgia and Macedonia both won again to suggest they could be the fourth-tier underdog using a complex competition format to help qualify for the 2020 European Championship.
There is still space for some friendlies, though, and Germany beat Peru 2-1 Sunday. On his debut in his home stadium, Hoffenheim midfielder Nico Schulz scored the winning goal in the 85th minute.
Germany and France kicked off the Nations League on Thursday with a 0-0 draw in Munich, and Mbappe and Giroud ensured the favored French now has control in League A of three-team Group 1 which concludes in November.
Mbappe was alone at the far post in the 14th to finish a fierce pass from the left by Blaise Matuidi into an unguarded net.
The Dutch troubled France in the second half, and Ryan Babel — his hair dyed red — equalized in the 67th when he muscled aside defender Benjamin Pavard to connect with right-back Kenny Tete’s cross.
Giroud struck from a cross by substitute Djibril Sidibe to ensure a post-match party atmosphere when most of a near-80,000 crowd stayed to celebrate a parade of the World Cup trophy.
Source: AP
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