Olivier Giroud ends Spain's perfect run after Hugo Lloris turns on the heroics for France
Spain 1 France 1
the Vicente Calderon
Wednesday 17 October 2012
Related articles
Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud became the first man to score past Iker Casillas in seven internationals as he earned France an invaluable draw in Madrid last night.
Spain were heading for victory No 25 in World Cup or European Championship qualifying but Giroud's headed goal with the last touch of the game gave France a well-earned drawn that also owed much to the Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris's brilliant first-half display.
There were 94 minutes on the clock when the ball hit the back of Casillas' net; 87 minutes had already passed when Giroud replaced the injured Karim Benzema but with Juanfran gifting Franck Ribéry possession his cross was converted the Arsenal forward.
Spain had taken lead through Sergio Ramos from Xabi Alonso's corner on 25 minutes. He headed the kick on to a post and when it came back out to him he thrashed the ball into the roof of Lloris's net. The keeper's miserable start to life at Spurs has left his position in the France side questioned but he was to emerge as the hero in the minutes that followed.
France should have equalised when Jérémy Menez turned a Benzema header over the line from a Yohan Cabaye free-kick only for the linesman to incorrectly rule the goal offside. Spain then won a penalty when Laurent Koscielny clattered into Pedro but Lloris saved Cesc Fabregas's spot kick. The Spurs man then turned Pedro's effort away after he had been put through by Xavi.
A first-half hamstring injury to David Silva was the only blight on the first 45 minutes for the world champions with the Manchester City man going off on the quarter hour, replaced by Arsenal's Santi Cazorla. City's Champions League opponents Real Madrid were to suffer similar bad news in the second half when they lost Alvaro Arbeloa, which completes an unwanted full-house for Jose Mourinho – three full-backs on international duty and all three reporting back injured. Juanfran's inability to deal with Ribéry was to prove crucial. First Casillas denied Benzema three times late on as France pushed forward for the equalizer. With Spain pegged back the home fans called for Fernando Torres who had opened his heart this week admitting his attitude was wrong at Chelsea last season.
He waited for the opportunity to roll back the years as France kept pouring forward and Benzema kept being foiled by Casillas and finally on 73 minutes the chance came, only for him to miscontrol in the area as Xavi put him through. Casillas continued to keep France at bay until Giroud's moment.
Spain Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Arbeloa, Jordi Alba, Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Alonso, Busquets, Silva, Pedro.
France Lloris, Koscielny, Debuchy, Evra, Sakho, Valbuena, Cabaye, Gonalons, Ribery, Benzema, Menez.
Referee F Brych (Germany).
Latest in Sport
Sport blogs
iBet: A tight game between Northampton and Bradford
A tight game could be in prospect here. Northampton have been keeping things very tight of late and ...
by Gareth Purnell
18 May 2013 02:01 AM
On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: Feeling ill and racing in the rain must be pretty grim
I can’t ever watch games of football or rugby without wistfully wondering what it must be like to be...
by Martin Ayres
16 May 2013 05:10 PM
PSG and the French league must be more proactive in dealing with hooliganism
Since PSG’s exit to Barcelona in the Uefa Champions League quarter-final in April, PSG have been sur...
by Matthew Riding
15 May 2013 02:37 PM
-
Match reports from every Premier League game: Heartbreak for Tottenham as Arsenal clinch fourth place
-
Arsène Wenger: 'We need stability and to strengthen in the summer'
-
Rafael Nadal is the Master again in Rome – like a Ferrari to Roger Federer's Fiat
-
Sam Wallace: The second coming of Mourinho will be a reunion that can only end in tears
-
James Lawton: For all Arsenal's dreams and prettiness there must be nagging sense of futility
- 1 Asteroid nine times the size of the QE2 liner to sail pass Earth
- 2 Notes from a small island: Is Sealand an independent 'micronation' or an illegal fortress?
- 3 British business: We need to stay in the EU - or risk losing up to £92bn a year
- 4 You thought Ryanair's attendants had it bad? Wait 'til you hear about their pilots
- 5 It’s official: thanks to Stephen Hawking's Israel boycott, anti-Semitism is no more
Get your summer started with British Military Fitness
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Visit York
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Career Services
Day In a Page
The price of pacifism
Jason Isaacs: Groupies, theatre bores and James Bond
Sealand: 'Micronation' or illegal fortress?
Legend of James Hunt has set Hollywood hearts racing
Macklemore: 'I don't have moderation'




Comments