International Friendlies
EnglandEngland2FranceFrance0

England 2-0 France

By Neil JohnstonBBC Sport
England v France

England beat France on an emotional night as more than 70,000 fans honoured the victims of the Paris attacks.

Fans united to sing La Marseillaise - the French national anthem - in front of the Duke of Cambridge and Prime Minister David Cameron at Wembley.

There was a perfectly observed minute's silence, with both sets of players standing together.

The crowd at Wembley
England fans joined their French counterparts by honouring the victims of the Paris attacks

Dele Alli scored on his full England debut, a fine 25-yard finish, before Wayne Rooney's volley sealed victory.

England's 10th and final game of the calendar year brought a seventh victory yet this was a night when the result, tactics and performance were secondary.

The French Football Federation chose to go ahead with the fixture despite Friday's attacks in Paris that left 129 people dead.

There was an excellent show of unity for the French national anthem before England and France mixed in with each other for a pre-match team photograph to huge applause.

England v France
England and France players lined up together before kick-off

England boss Roy Hodgson and his France counterpart Didier Deschamps embraced after joining Prince William, president of the Football Association, in laying flowers for those killed.

The visitors went close to opening the scoring when Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye, one of six Premier League-based players starting for France, fired narrowly over from 25 yards.

Hodgson made seven changes to the side that started the 2-0 defeat by Spain last Friday, with the average age of England's starting line-up - 24 years 113 days - the youngest under the current England boss.

Hodgson reflects on 'poignant' night

Alli, 19, showed great maturity to open the scoring from outside the area, the Tottenham midfielder starting the move with a crunching tackle before firing home.

Rooney doubled the lead with a close-range volley from Raheem Sterling's cross, the culmination of a move started by Alli.

Forward Antoine Griezmann and midfielder Lassana Diarra both received applause all around Wembley when they came on for France.

Diarra's cousin was killedexternal-link in the Paris attacks while Griezmann's sister was caught up in it but escaped unharmed.

England boss Roy Hodgson: "I was pleased the FA set about showing our respect and marking this sad occasion.

"It was handled quite brilliantly.

"It was a very poignant occasion and we achieved all the things we wanted to achieve in the remembrance. An act of defiance was better than the other alternative."

France boss Didier Deschamps: "We would like to thank everyone for their statements and their actions of solidarity. We feel very grateful because not just the people at Wembley, but the whole nation has supported us."

On fans uniting to sing La Marseillaise: "We felt very, very strong emotions, powerful emotions. Everyone has their own way of displaying their emotions but it was certainly a moment where everyone came together.

"It was heart-rending - you felt it deep down in your gut. It was a special, moving, grandiose moment."

Line-ups

England

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1HartSubstituted forButlandat 45'minutes
  • 2Clyne
  • 6Stones
  • 5Cahill
  • 3Gibbs
  • 7AlliSubstituted forJonesat 88'minutes
  • 4Dier
  • 11SterlingSubstituted forLallanaat 68'minutes
  • 8BarkleySubstituted forShelveyat 79'minutes
  • 10Rooney
  • 9KaneSubstituted forBertrandat 80'minutes

Substitutes

  • 12Smalling
  • 13Butland
  • 14Jones
  • 15Walker
  • 16Bertrand
  • 17Shelvey
  • 18Mason
  • 19Lingard
  • 20Lallana
  • 21Heaton

France

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Lloris
  • 15Sagna
  • 4Varane
  • 21Koscielny
  • 17Digne
  • 22SchneiderlinSubstituted forSissokoat 83'minutes
  • 6CabayeSubstituted forDiarraat 57'minutes
  • 14MatuidiSubstituted forPogbaat 45'minutes
  • 8Ben ArfaSubstituted forComanat 45'minutes
  • 10GignacSubstituted forGiroudat 57'minutes
  • 11MartialSubstituted forGriezmannat 67'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Jallet
  • 3Evra
  • 5Perrin
  • 7Griezmann
  • 9Giroud
  • 12Diarra
  • 13Mangala
  • 16Mandanda
  • 18Sissoko
  • 19Pogba
  • 20Coman
  • 23Costil
Referee:
Jonas Eriksson
Attendance:
71,223

Match Stats

Home TeamEnglandAway TeamFrance
Possession
Home48%
Away52%
Shots
Home9
Away8
Shots on Target
Home4
Away3
Corners
Home5
Away3
Fouls
Home13
Away10

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, England 2, France 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, England 2, France 0.

  3. Post update

    Laurent Koscielny (France) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Adam Lallana (England).

  5. Post update

    Attempt missed. Paul Pogba (France) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Lass Diarra.

  6. Substitution

    Substitution, England. Phil Jones replaces Dele Alli.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Moussa Sissoko (France).

  8. Post update

    Jonjo Shelvey (England) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  9. Substitution

    Substitution, France. Moussa Sissoko replaces Morgan Schneiderlin.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Gary Cahill (England).

  11. Post update

    Olivier Giroud (France) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, England. Ryan Bertrand replaces Harry Kane.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, England. Jonjo Shelvey replaces Ross Barkley.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Olivier Giroud (France).

  15. Post update

    Eric Dier (England) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  16. Post update

    Attempt missed. Kingsley Coman (France) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Antoine Griezmann.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Raphael Varane (France).

  18. Post update

    Harry Kane (England) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  19. Post update

    Paul Pogba (France) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Post update

    Foul by Harry Kane (England).

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Tuesday 17th November 2015