So France have eased to a 3-0 victory here, proving their mettle as a bonafide European giant. Are they the favourites to win the Euro 2020 this summer? I wouldn't bet against it.
I'd like to thank all my readers for joining me today to watch France's last friendly hurrah before they embark on their Euro campaign. Until next time, this is Aditya Hosangadi signing off. Cheers, and have a good night!
Olivier Giroud took Benzema's place for the remainder of the match and made his intentions clear with an excellent brace to secure a 3-0 victory for France. Deschamps gave several of his stars a good run today and has a formidable squad to choose from as France take on Germany at Euro 2020 next Tuesday.
France have swatted Bulgaria aside here to make a massive statement of intent at the Stade de France. Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring with a magnificent bicycle kick in the first half but the proceedings were slightly soured by Karim Benzema's injury.
FULL TIME: France 3-0 Bulgaria (Antoine Griezmann 29', Olivier Giroud 83', 90')
90 + 2' Bulgaria desperate for the final whistle here as France are looking for their fourth. Pogba takes a shot from distance but it skims just wide of the far post!
90' MAKE THAT 46! Ben Yedder is played through on goal and unselfishly squares the ball for Giroud to make it 3-0. France add some shine to their scoreline here in Paris!
Olivier Giroud's strike tonight is his 45th in French colours. For context - Thierry Henry has scored 51. Say what you will about the Chelsea star, he certainly knows how to put on a show with Les Bleus.
87' France are taking a backseat here and seem relaxed at the Stade de France. Bulgaria are giving it their best but the difference in quality has been stark tonight.
84' Deschamps takes the opportunity to make a few more substitutions as Moussa Sissoko and Wissam Ben Yedder replace Corentin Tolisso and the impressive Kylian Mbappe.
83' GIROUD GETS HIS GOAL! The Chelsea striker has been a persistent threat this season and gets his boot to Pavard's cross this time. The victory surely now assured for France. 2-0!
81' France are keen on a response to Bulgaria's threat and Tolisso finds Pavard with a sumptuous pass. The right-back drills a low cross to Giroud but Bulgaria are able to clear their lines.
80' NEARLY THE EQUALIZER! Bulgaria create their best chance of the game as Iliev finds Karagaren's late run into the box. The substitute fires his shot through the legs of Varane but it is narrowly wide.
78' France look threatening with Ousmane Dembele and Paul Pogba exchanging passes at the penalty area, Varane's foul eases the pressure on Bulgaria and Les Bleus will have to start again.
There seems to be a discernible ebb in the rhythm of the game here as France seem happy with their lead. Dembele, Pogba, and Lemar have been impressive so far but are yet to add to France's goal tally.
74' Pogba and Giroud wreak havoc in the box with their intricate passes and inexplicably find their way through a sea of red. Bulgaria clear with a last-ditch challenge, however, and manage to clear their lines from the subsequent corner.
72' LEMAR! The Atletico Madrid midfielder has a point to prove tonight and takes his chances with a shot from distance. Naumov was concerned for a while there but the shot flies a few feet above the upright, much to Lemar's despair.
71' More changes for Bulgaria as Dominik Yankov and Ivan Turitsov make way for Andrea Hristov and Birsent Kargaren.
70' Dembele flaunts his ambidexterity with some impressive feints but Bulgaria have the numbers in the box to block his shot.
France putting their squad depth on show here. Lemar and Dembele have been on the pitch for less than 5 minutes and have already been heavily involved. Hard to tell from a TV screen, but Deschamps will likely be thrilled.
67' Ousmane Dembele gets involved immediately and bursts through Bulgaria to find Kylian Mbappe in plenty of space. Mbappe drags his shot wide and promptly apologises to his compatriot on the opposite flank.
66' N'Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann receive rounds of applause as they make way for Thomas Lemar and Ousmane Dembele. Deschamps resting his best players here.
64' France threaten again with another push into the final third. Mbappe gets his shot away but it's straight at Naumov - the Bulgarian makes one of his simpler saves of the night.
62' Lucas Digne bursts down the left and flights a cross towards Giroud but Naumov is on hand to clear. Bulgaria might not be able to win tonight but their goalkeeper certainly has put on a display!
60' We've reached the hour-mark here and France have visibly been the superior side so far. Les Bleus have only one goal to show for it, however, and will be looking for a boost of morale in these last 30 minutes.
58' Bulgaria implement a triple change as Atanas Iliev, Kiril Despodov, and Bozhidar Kraev make way for Georgi Minchev, Dimitar Iliev, and Momchil Tsvetanov.
Bulgaria are showing more resolve in the second half and have effectively blocked most of France's forays. The away side has also mounted a few attacks of its own in the last 10 minutes and need more of the same from their players.
55' Bulgaria win a corner after a positive foray down the right. The delivery is poor, however, and France easily rid themselves of the danger.
52' Bulgaria implement their first change as Petar Vitanov replaces Ivaylo Chochev in midfield.
51' France back in control here as Bulgaria are pinned back in their own half. Naumov finds himself off his line to clear a cross, and Mbappe's subsequent shot results in a corner. Bulgaria clear their lines this time, but will have to find a way to seize the initiative here..
48' Yellow Card for Kiril Despodov. Paul Pogba wins the ball for France and breaks away on the counter. Despodov get in his way illegally and is booked for his efforts.
46' Lucas Digne on for Lucas Hernandez in the second half. France need to give their mainstays more of a breather tonight.
46' The second half is underway! Bulgaria kick things off, attacking from left to right. They will need to attack more, though, to stand a chance here.
Bulgaria, to their credit, have already repelled numerous French attacks tonight and cannot be faulted for the genius of Antoine Griezmann. France will look to increase their lead in the second half but not at the expense of the fitness of their most important players. More action to come in the second half!
It hasn't all been sunshine and cheer for Les Bleus, however, and Benzema's injury will raise some eyebrows. The striker may well have been taken off as a precaution, but the extent of his discomfort is yet to be determined. France are stacked in terms of attacking options but will need their seasoned striker with them next week in the Euros.
Half-time in Paris as France lead by a narrow margin, courtesy of Antoine Griezmann's wonder strike! Griezmann is a truly special player in French colours and has stepped up yet again for his side. Barcelona might be able to bench the man, but France will not dare!
Karim Benzema is only playing his second game for France since 2015.
He exits their friendly against Bulgaria with an injury days before Euro 2020 kicks off pic.twitter.com/5rsf33XrXA
HALF TIME: France 1-0 Bulgaria (Antoine Griezmann 29')
45 + 1' Bulgaria nearly respond against the run of play! Iliev with a touch in the penalty area but a loose touch sees Hugo Lloris collect the ball comfortably.
Two additional minutes at the Stade de France.
45' France smell blood here. Giroud gets in on the act almost immediately and forces Naumov into another save. The Bulgarian shot-stopper is in for a particularly busy night.
Mbappe thankfully seems to be moving well and is back on the pitch. HUGE sigh of relief for France!
43' What is happening with France? Kylian Mbappe is down now, and Deschamps cannot afford to lose two of his star men to injury in a friendly a week before their first Euro 2020 match.
41' France, meanwhile, seem in no mood to relent! Pogba finds Mbappe with another brilliant pass, the winger finds Griezmann but the Barcelona striker is unable to pull off another exquisite finish.
40' Massive source of concern for Didier Deschamps here as Benzema seems to be struggling with his knock. The strap isn't helping either, Benzema's night is over! Olivier Giroud coming on for his compatriot.
36' France temporarily down to ten men at the moment as Benzema's knee is strapped on the sidelines. The Los Blancos man sustained an uncomfortable fall earlier and is receiving treatment.
34' Bulgaria need to respond immediately here to prevent a goalfest from France. They do manage a long throw into the box but Lucas Hernandez is on hand to clear.
Brilliant body shape and some exceptional awareness from the Barcelona man. Griezmann becomes a talisman in his country's colours and has effectively left the Bulgarians gaping with his finish.
29' GOOOLAZO GRIEZMANN! Is there ever a better way to find the back of the net than a bicycle kick? Antoine Griezmann really is a better player with France. Absolute peach!
27' SAVE FROM NAUMOV! Mbappe and Benzema exchange a few intricate passes and the former finds himself through on goal, but is denied by a brilliant stop from the Bulgarian goalkeeper.
25' Bulgaria win a free-kick in a dangerous area as Varane fells Iliev to concede a foul. Pogba heads the ball out of play and France manage to clear their lines from the resulting corner as well, but this is much better from Bulgaria.
21' Bulgaria finally mount an attack of their own with a cross into the box, but Raphael Varane gets ahead of Iliev to clear the danger. The away side will need much more of that to stand a chance tonight.
The frustration will inevitably start setting in at some point for Les Bleus. They've created a flurry of chances in the opening 20 minutes but have nothing to show for it. Can Bulgaria deny the French today?
19' Benzema with another chance! Pogba plays a lovely lofted pass to find Benzema in a tight space, but the striker skies his effort from a difficult angle. France are getting closer..
16' France have settled into a nice rhythm here with Pogba and Tolisso heavily involved on the ball. Griezmann and Benzema are dropping deep to add to the numbers in midfield but are yet to unlock Bulgaria's defence.
Bulgaria have held on so far, but have barely held the ball and are unlikely to survive the full 90 minutes at this rate. France have their opponents in a stranglehold and need to find the back of the net before half-time.
11' Mbappe again!Forces a good low save from Naumov, and Benzema is unable to get to the loose ball. The PSG winger looks ominous, this is an excellent sign for Didier Deschamps' side.
8' Bulgaria finally put together a string of passes but are unable to get their cross into the penalty area. Lucas Hernandez pulls off an impressive tackle in his own half.
5' France pushing forward here with Benzema and Griezmann, Bulgaria up to the challenge. Mbappe ultimately wins a free-kick with yet another successful dribble but the French are unable to make the most of their opportunity.
2' MBAPPE SO CLOSE! The PSG winger wastes no time on the left flank and unleashes a shot that flashes across the face of the goal. Bulgaria have to dig deep here..
HERE WE GO! Right, kick-off at the Stade de France. This is France's last friendly before the serious stuff begins. What can Didier Deschamps men conjure up?
Minutes away from the start as here as the Lloris shakes hands with Bulgaria captain Bozhikov. Bulgaria can be difficult to play against, but you'd really have to be a daredevil to bet on anything another than a victory for Les Bleus.
Pogba, Griezmann, Benzema, Mbappe. Germany ran riot against Latvia last night, France seemingly want their own big scoreline this week!
Didier Deschamps has decided to test his full-strength team tonight and a poor result could potentially be catastrophic for the squad's morale.
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 8, 2021
Line-ups are out! On a night where Spain decide (read: are forced) to field a third-string team, France have gone all-in with their guns. Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, and Karim Benzema with Ousmane Dembele and Olivier Giroud on the bench. Bulgaria will need to do some serious defending tonight to come away with a result.
OFFICIAL Bulgaria XI (4-4-2): Daniel Maumov; Vasil Bozhikov, Valentin Antov, Petko Hristov, Ivan Turitsov; Bozhidar Kraev, Ivaylo Chochev, Dominik Yankov, Ilian Iliev; Kiril Despodov, Atanas Iliev
OFFICIAL France XI (4-3-3): Hugo Lloris (c); Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Raphael Varane, Benjamin Pavard; N'Golo Kante, Corentin Tolisso, Paul Pogba; Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 8, 2021
Les Bleus find themselves in the Group of Death in Euro 2020 alongside Portugal and Germany and will use this game as an opportunity to flex their commendable muscle. While this game may be of little consequence to either side, Deschamps and his crew will be in no mood to accept an under-par performance.
France's squad is filled to the brim with attacking options and Bulgaria will likely feel a shiver down their spine as they walk onto that pitch. With the game less than four hours away, I'll leave you with Sportskeeda's match preview before we return with the official starting elevens.
France play their last friendly before Euro 2020 at the serene Stade de France in Paris. I'm Aditya Hosangadi from Sportskeeda's football team and I'll be with you all the way as Didier Deschamps and his charges look to amp up their preparations for Euro 2020 against a feisty Bulgaria outfit.
Hello, and a very good evening to all of you. Welcome to Sportskeeda's live coverage of the international friendly between France and Bulgaria!
I'd like to thank all my readers for joining me today to watch France's last friendly hurrah before they embark on their Euro campaign. Until next time, this is Aditya Hosangadi signing off. Cheers, and have a good night!
Paul Pogba wins the ball for France and breaks away on the counter. Despodov get in his way illegally and is booked for his efforts.
Right, kick-off at the Stade de France. This is France's last friendly before the serious stuff begins. What can Didier Deschamps men conjure up?
Bulgaria can be difficult to play against, but you'd really have to be a daredevil to bet on anything another than a victory for Les Bleus.
Germany ran riot against Latvia last night, France seemingly want their own big scoreline this week!
France's squad is filled to the brim with attacking options and Bulgaria will likely feel a shiver down their spine as they walk onto that pitch. With the game less than four hours away, I'll leave you with Sportskeeda's match preview before we return with the official starting elevens.
France vs Bulgaria prediction, preview, team news and more | International Friendlies 2021