Staff Reporter.
@Euro2020.
Antoine Griezmann scored twice as France beat Finland in their 2022 World Cup qualifier to get back to winning ways.
The reigning world champions had to come from behind in their last two qualifiers to draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine.
Victory was never in doubt in this game as Griezmann finished off a fine move in the first half to open the scoring.
He made it 2-0 early in the second half, finishing from a tight angle.
Griezmann made the suprise move of transfer deadline day when he left Barcelona to re-join Atletico Madrid.
The 30-year-old has yet to play for his new club but has now scored three goals in his last three international appearances.
France are top of Group D with 12 points from six games and are seven points clear of Ukraine, who are second.
Meanwhile Scotland impressively revived their World Cup hopes with a momentous victory over Austria to climb into the Group F play-off spot.
Lyndon Dykes’ penalty, awarded after a VAR check, gave Steve Clarke’s men a lead they clung on to in Vienna.
Stephen O’Donnell, having survived an Austria penalty appeal, and Che Adams had chances to ease the Scots’ nerves.
But the visitors stood firm amid intense second-half pressure to collect a priceless and deserved away win.
⏰ RESULTS ⏰
Most impressive performance? ?#WCQ
— European Qualifiers (@EURO2020) September 7, 2021
Coupled with runaway leaders Denmark’s defeat of Israel, it moves Scotland up two places to second.
Clarke’s side are a point clear of Israel and four above Austria with four games remaining.
Elsewhere Erling Braut Haaland continued his phenomenal goalscoring form with a hat-trick as Norway thrashed Gibraltar in World Cup qualifying.
Haaland then got his second before Reece Styche’s lob made it 3-1.
Alexander Sorloth pounced on a loose ball to restore Norway’s three-goal lead in the second half and Haaland tapped in his third in injury time.
Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland now has 11 goals in eight games for club and country so far this season and has already scored two hat-tricks, having got one in his first game of the campaign in a 3-0 win against Wehen Wiesbaden in the German Cup.