France 3-0 Wales: Mbappe, Griezmann and Dembele strike against 10-man Welsh as Benzema plays for first time since 2015
THIS was not a NICE night for Robert Page and 10-man Wales.
As pre-Euro finals friendlies go, this could not have been more cruel for the 2016 semi-finalists.
Neco Williams was controversially shown a red card for a handball by Portuguese referee Luis Godinho following Karim Benzema’s 23rd-minute goal-bound shot.
After a lengthy VAR check, Godinho made the call to award a penalty and then harshly dismiss the Liverpool kid for a deliberate handball.
Luckily, Williams will be suspended for Saturday’s final warm-up against Albania in Cardiff – and not the Euros with the Group A opener against Switzerland in Baku fast approaching.
But Godinho’s shock decision ruined this game as a contest with World Cup holders France cruising to victory.
Wales keeper Danny Ward saved Benzema’s resulting penalty from the handball incident, but he could not keep out strikes from Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele.
Ex-Premier League referee Mark Halsey called Godinho’s decision ‘harsh’ and added: “Williams’ arms were in a natural position.
“The proximity between Benzema and Williams could not have been more than a yard. He had no chance of moving his arms.”
Godinho’s controversial call left Wales to play with a man less for the remaining 67 minutes.
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Page had a plan to manage returning stars Joe Allen, Ben Davies and Aaron Ramsey following injury.
The one-man disadvantage only increased the workload against the second best team in the world, rated as one of the favourites to win the Euros.
But the comebacks for their star trio will be the huge positive from this trip to the French Riviera.
Allen got 58 minutes under his belt on his comeback from hamstring and calf injuries sustained in March’s defeat to Belgium.
Juventus star Ramsey, who had only made one appearance in the previous 11 internationals, and Tottenham defender Davies both came off the bench to get more than half an hour in their legs.
Boss Page sprang a surprise by handing Williams an unfamiliar man-marking job on Paul Pogba.
Williams usually plays in defence but the tactical change by Page could be a clue on how Wales plan to stop the Swiss a week on Saturday.
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Benzema, winning his first cap since 2015, and Dan James traded chances early on before the game turned with the penalty incident.
Williams lost marker Pogba and after Ward saved his close-range header, Benzema’s follow-up shot was deemed a deliberate handball.
Ward saved Benzema’s spot-kick, aiding his bid to be Wales’ number one ahead of Wayne Hennessey.
The Leicester No2 had no chance with Mbappe’s 35th-minute opener.
Adrien Rabiot’s shot deflected off Griezmann to wrong-foot Ward, who still managed to block the ball – but PSG star striker Mbappe pounced.
Griezmann showed his class with an unstoppable left-footed shot beyond Ward before Dembele rounded off the scoring after Benzema rattled a post.
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