Pogba scores
WC QUALIFIERS
PARIS: France coach Didier Deschamps insists there is an awful lot more to Paul Pogba’s game after the Manchester United star found the net again in his country’s 2-1 win over Sweden on Friday.
The world’s most expensive player headed in France’s equaliser before Dimitri Payet got the winning goal in the World Cup qualifier at the Stade de France on Friday.
It was Pogba’s eighth goal for his country and followed his winner in the 1-0 victory away to the Netherlands last month.
But Deschamps said: “He is not a goal-scorer. He can score goals and has done so but I don’t especially expect him to do that.
“All the better that he did so today but I am much more happy with his overall performance which followed on from what he did in the Netherlands.
“For Manchester he is used in a different position in a different system. He gave us a lot of fluidity with the ball and was good at winning possession back,” Deschamps added.
“When Paul is playing like that and has a good partnership with Blaise Matuidi it is important for the team. If he scores, all the better. I know he likes scoring but it is not what I or the team expect from him.”
SOLEMN SILENCE
The game was played almost exactly a year on from the terror attacks that struck Paris on Friday, November 13, 2015.
A total of 130 people were killed in the attacks, which included three suicide bombers blowing themselves up outside the Stade de France while France were playing Germany in a friendly.
A minute’s silence was held for the victims to mark the anniversary before the Sweden game, while France’s president Francois Hollande was in attendance.
The midfielder was criticised by France head coach Didier Deschamps ahead of the team’s last match against the Netherlands to which he responded by scoring the winning goal.
Pogba got praise for his performance for Manchester United on the weekend and was also lauded by Deschamps for his display against Sweden.
Many experts see Southgate’s interim stint as an audition for the job of England head coach, which seems to be going well.
After beating Scotland, captain Wayne Rooney expressed his support for Southgate taking over the role, saying, “From my point of view, he’s in pole position.” Wayne Rooney (in pic)
The Germans stay on top of Group C having won four of their four matches played to collect maximum points.
This is their best ever start to a World Cup qualifying campaign having won four straight matches without conceding a goal.