Sakho and Benzema ensure rampant Les Bleus complete mission impossible France 3 Ukraine 0 (agg 3-2)

Sakho and Benzema ensure rampant Les Bleus complete mission impossible France 3 Ukraine 0 (agg 3-2)

Strikes from Mamadou Sakho and Karim Benzema, an own goal, a rampant French display and you wondered what all the fuss was about, really.
With their World Cup dream seemingly in tatters after the  2-0 defeat in Ukraine, France fought back with aplomb, ensuring it was cries of ‘Allez les Bleus!’ and not boos that filled the Stade de France.

Sensational: France's matchwinner Mamadou Sakho (left) celebrates with
team-mate Karim Benzema after France's third goal

Joy: Sakho wheels away after forcing Gusev to fire the ball past Andriy Pyatov into his own net

Jumping for joy: France celebrate Gusev's own goal - and a place in the World Cup finals

Match facts

France: Lloris 6, Debuchy 6 (Sagna 78), Evra, Varane 5, Sakho 7, Cabaye 7, Matuidi 7, Valbuena 6, Pogba 7, Ribery 8, Benzema 7 (Giroud 82). Subs not used: Landreau, Giroud, Nasri, Clichy, Grenier, Mandanda, Payet, Sissoko, Remy, Mavuba, Abidal.
Booked: Sakho, Evra, Debuchy.
Goals: Sakho 22, Benzema 34, Gusev OG 72.
Ukraine: Pyatov 7, Shevchuk 5, Khacheridi 4, Mandzyuk 5, Rakitskiy 6, Yarmolenko 6, Konoplyanka 6, Rotan 6, Bezus 5 (Gusev 64, 5), Edmar 5, Zozulya 5 (Seleznov 76). Subs not used: Khudzamov, Dedechko, Tymoschuk, Khomchenovskiy, Stepanenko, Seleznyov, Fedorchuk, Morozyuk, Sydorchuk, Devic.
Booked: Rotan, Khacheridi
Sent off: Khacheridi.
Attendance: 77,000
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia) 5.

Failure to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 20 years, particularly with a string of friendly fixtures stretching ahead until France hosts Euro 2016, was unthinkable.
That was how France played, almost from the whistle;  running Ukraine ragged and then ruthlessly going for the kill after Yevgen Khacheridi was sent off just after half-time.
Didier Deschamps’ bid to bring ‘flair and fantasy’ to the Stade de France threatened to be undone by a pitch showing the brown muddy marks of the All Blacks’ 26-19 win over France 11 days ago.
Instead, France had to scrap against a Ukraine side who close down quickly and try to muscle their opponents off the ball.
The visitors certainly did not play for a 0-0 draw, keeping lone striker Roman Zozulia high up the pitch and breaking with pace and intent, but France rose to the challenge, too.
France still looked hesitant without the ball, but they were occasionally brilliant with it, with Yohan Cabaye — brought in to sit in front of a vulnerable back four — finding Franck  Ribery on the left with a superb dipping pass.

Magnifique: Benzema wheels away after firing France level on aggregate

Centre of attention: Benzema (centre) celebrates with team-mates Paul Pogba (left) and Blaise Matuidi after firing France level

It was Ukraine’s indiscipline that ultimately cost them — two fouls, two free-kicks and two French goals.
The first from Sakho in the 22nd minute after Andriy  Pyatov could only push Ribery’s strike back into play and the second from Benzema, albeit from an offside position after a scuffed shot from Cabaye, eight minutes later.

Sensational start: Liverpool defender Sakho bundled home from close-range to give France an early lead, energising the crowd at the Stade de France

No mistake: Sakho reacts quickest to a loose ball, blasting home from a tight angle to get France back in the tie

The French would argue it was karma for the goal the Real Madrid striker saw wrongly  disallowed five minutes earlier after he sprinted to the back post to tap in a Ribery cross.
Perhaps, though, we should put any thoughts of karma to one side given what happened to the Republic of Ireland the last time France were in the World Cup play-offs. On this occasion, at least, Deschamps’ side were rampant and fully deserving of their lead.

Rubbing salt in the wound: Referee Damir Skomina shows a red card to Ukraine's Yevgen Khacheridi

Outnumbered: Franck Ribery faces four men in yellow shirts as France make the pressure tell

Paul Pogba blasted a shot high over the bar and Mathieu Valbena saw a driving effort saved by Pyatov.
Ukraine’s discipline, however, abandoned them again within two minutes of the second half.
Khacheridi caught Ribery, the Bayern Munich star fell dramatically to the ground, and referee Damir Skomina reached for a second yellow card.

No-holds barred: Ukraine defender Vitaliy Mandzyuk (right) challenges Benzema

The heat is on: Didier Deschamps listens to La Marseillaise before the start of proceedings

France barely needed any further invitation to surge forward and Patrice Evra joined the party down the left flank before Benzema blasted a shot high over the bar and Blaise Matuidi got his feet in a tangle after an inviting pass from Ribery.
Ukraine still had chances, with Hugo Lloris saving well at the feet of Zozulia after 70 minutes, before Oleg Gusev put the ball into his own net under pressure from Sakho.
Suddenly the Stade de France crowd were cheering every successful French pass on the road to Brazil.

Standard bearers: French fans get in the mood ahead of a thrilling play-off encounter

Warming up: France players appeared relaxed ahead of kick-off

Fervent support: French president Fancois Hollande (centre) and French Football Federation president Noel le Graet (left) before the games

Whipping up the crown: A French supporter gets the crowd in the mood at the Stade de France

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