France winger Mathieu Valbuena was in a class of his own as he set up three goals in a 4-0 victory at home against Norway to help his side start their World Cup warm-up games in style.
Valbuena excelled in a one-sided encounter, providing perfect crosses for Paul Pogba and Olivier Giroud, who netted twice, to get on the scoresheet along with substitute Loic Remy.
France, who are to face Honduras, Ecuador and Switzerland in Group E at next month’s World Cup, are to play Paraguay in Nice on Sunday and then Jamaica in Lille on June 8 before flying to Brazil.
Photo: AFP
Midfielder Pogba headed in a score in the 15th minute, striker Giroud volleyed the second goal in the 51st and Remy got the third after 67 minutes from a Mathieu Debuchy pass as Les Bleus played their last game at the Stade de France before the World Cup.
Giroud rubbed salt in Norway’s wounds by heading in the fourth two minutes later, after being set up again by Valbuena.
“We were in competition mode against a team who have qualities,” France coach Didier Deschamps told TF1. “Scoring four goals is never easy at international level, it’s good for our confidence. At the end of our first week of work, it’s very good.”
Deschamps rested goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and winger Franck Ribery, who has been struggling with back pains.
Real Madrid center-back Raphael Varane and striker Karim Benzema were not available because they are only set to join the squad on Thursday after winning the Champions League on the weekend.
Seven probable starters at the World Cup were in the lineup, with second-choice goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier, center-back Laurent Koscielny, winger Antoine Griezmann and Giroud also included.
Les Bleus had two early chances with headers by Griezmann and Giroud saved by Orjan Nyland, but there was nothing he could do to keep out Pogba’s low header from Valbuena’s fine cross.
France ran out of steam near the break, and Ruffier had to deny Tom Hogli at the near post three minutes before halftime.
Deschamps then brought on Lucas Digne and Moussa Sissoko for Patrice Evra and Pogba respectively.
Giroud put France 2-0 ahead six minutes into the second period when he made the most of Valbuena’s pass to whip a fine volley under the bar.
Second-half substitute Remy added another goal with a clinical finish after collecting Debuchy’s defense-splitting pass, before Giroud grabbed his second with a header into the far corner of the net from another fine cross by Valbuena.
JAPAN, CYPRUS
Fullback Atsuto Uchida slotted the only goal as a dominant Japan grabbed a 1-0 victory over Cyprus in a largely uninspiring World Cup send off in front of 59,000 fans in Saitama, Japan on Tuesday.
The Schalke 04 defender, on his return to the Japan side after a thigh injury curtailed his season in Germany, drove home at the second attempt two minutes before halftime after his initial effort was blocked.
Shinji Kagawa, Yoichiro Kakitani and Keisuke Honda went close to adding to the lead for Japan, who dominated possession and were rarely tested in defense.
“I think the team did okay. We had a physically hard training camp in Ibusuki so there was not so much sharpness, but our decisionmaking was good,” Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni told reporters.
US, AZERBAIJAN
The US got their World Cup preparations off to a positive start with a comfortable 2-0 friendly win over a well-disciplined Azerbaijan at Candlestick Park in San Francisco on Tuesday.
Substitute Mix Diskerud pounced to drive home from close range in the 75th minute, before Aron Johannsson headed a second eight minutes later.
US coach Juergen Klinsmann suffered a blow shortly before kick-off when Clint Dempsey was withdrawn with a “sore groin,” but the German told ESPN that the forward should recover from his injury in a few days.
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