Scotland beat France 1-0 for the second time in Euro 2008 qualifying to take top spot in Group B.
McFadden strike secures famous win
Scotland beat France 1-0 for the second time in Euro 2008 qualifying to take top spot in Group B.
Having already claimed victory against Les Bleus at Hampden Park earlier in the campaign, the Scots would have been happy with a point in Paris.
But James McFadden's superb strike in the 64th minute secured a famous win for Alex McLeish's side.
Scotland's defence stood firm to keep out Nicolas Anelka, Franck Ribery et al in the second-half to ensure all three points.
French domination
As expected, France took control from the start, Scotland struggling to get out of their own half with any real conviction.
In the 15th minute, as the pressure on the Scottish defence continued, David Trezeguet swivelled on a Claude Makelele pass but his left-footed effort from 14 yards went wide of the target.
Soon after, Malouda had a low drive from distance saved quite comfortably by Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Just after the half mark Ribery's goal-bound drive from the edge of the box deflected off Graham Alexander and just wide of Gordon's goal.
Just two minutes into the second-half and Ribery had fired in another effort, but again the Bayern Munich midfielder's effort was wide.
Anelka presented Ribery with the best chance of the game in the 55th minute but his left-footed strike from 12 yards was parried away by Gordon.
Seconds later the Sunderland goalkeeper pulled off another great save, tipping Anelka's shot over the bar.
Stunner
In the 63rd minute Scotland turned the game on its head with the game's decisive moment.
The ball broke to McFadden at least 30 yards from goal and, out of the blue, the Everton striker drove a glorious shot into the top corner.
The Parc des Princes was stunned.
France pushed hard for an equaliser in front of their own fans but a goal never really looked like coming and instead Scotland took a giant step towards qualifying for Euro 2008.
| France |
Team Statistics |
Scotland |
| 0 |
Goals |
1 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 4 |
Shots on Target |
3 |
| 10 |
Shots off Target |
2 |
| 12 |
Blocked Shots |
0 |
| 16 |
Corners |
3 |
| 13 |
Fouls |
16 |
| 0 |
Offsides |
1 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
2 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 88.6 |
Passing Success |
71.7 |
| 20 |
Tackles |
25 |
| 75 |
Tackles Success |
88 |
| 72.2 |
Possession |
27.8 |
| 66 |
Territorial Advantage |
34 |
|
