WC round-up: Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet net for France
Saturday 12 November 2016 12:49, UK
Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet scored as France beat Sweden 2-1 to go top of World Cup Qualifying European Group A.
The away side grabbed the lead at the Stade de France 10 minutes into the second half via Emil Forsberg's free-kick.
That effort was cancelled out three minutes later as Pogba headed home a cross from Payet, who then seized on a spillage from Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen to strike the winner in the 65th minute.
After the two teams had gone into this contest locked at the top of the group with identical records from three games, France are now outright leaders on 10 points from four matches.
Germany stretched further clear in Group C with a 8-0 victory over San Marino, where Serge Gnabry scored a hat-trick on his international debut.
Trending
- PL Predictions: More dropped points for Arsenal at Palace?
- Usyk vs Fury 2: Start time, ring walks, undercard and odds
- Papers: Man Utd considering Rashford loan exit in January
- Fury weighs in career-heaviest as both fighters remain fully clothed!
- Fury's beard 'must be cut!' Team Usyk to push complaint
- Fernandez: My transformation under Maresca explained
- Ange to Slot: I'm not a football evangelist, I'm a naughty little boy!
- Man Utd latest: 'Devastated' Mount out for several weeks
- Transfer Centre LIVE! Dele says goodbye to Everton - Como next?
- Introducing the FULL much-changed 2025 F1 grid with driver line-ups
Sami Khedira scored the first before former Arsenal midfielder Gnabry finished off a good move to double the lead.
Jonas Hector bagged two further goals either side of half-time and Gnabry converted two more chances to bag a hat-trick.
Kevin Volland grabbed an eighth in a game in which Germany enjoyed 85 per cent possession.
Northern Ireland moved up to second in Group C with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Azerbaijan.
The Czech Republic leapfrogged Norway into fifth place in Group C with a 2-1 victory in Prague.
Michael Krmencik opened the scoring in the 11th minute and Jaromir Zmrhal made the game safe at the Eden Arena two minutes after the interval before Joshua King hit a late consolation for the visitors.
Slovakia scored three times in the first half as they cruised to a 4-0 home victory over Lithuania in World Cup Qualifying European Group F but England remain in pole position of the group after a 3-0 win over Scotland.
Slovenia are the Three Lions' nearest challengers after they battled to a 1-0 victory in Malta.
Benjamin Verbic scored the winning goal on 47 minutes in a game which the away team dominated.
Two goals from Robert Lewandowski helped Poland take over at the top of Group E with a 3-0 win over Romania in Bucharest, Kamil Grosicki paving the way for victory with an 11th-minute opener.
The Poles seized on a stunning 3-2 defeat for former leaders Montenegro in Armenia, the hosts rallying from 2-0 down to grab a dramatic winner through Gevorg Ghazaryan in injury time.
Christian Eriksen scored twice as Denmark earned their first win and moved up to third place in Group E with a 4-1 win over Kazakhstan.
