Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 11:01 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 23:06

France did not make a mistake in the last preparation match for the European Championship on Tuesday evening. Les Bleus won 3-0 against Bulgaria in the Stade de France, thanks to a goal by Antoine Griezmann and a double by Olivier Giroud. The latter was the replacement for Karim Benzema, who was injured in the first half. His injury was the only stain on France’s victory; according to the first sounds, it is not a serious injury. The European Championship starts for Didier Deschamps’ team on Tuesday 15 June with a game against Germany.

After the first half, France had only one cause for concern: Benzema’s injury. The attacker reacted in minute 31 to a cross from the right flank by Benjamin Pavard. He got to the ball before Ivan Turitsov, after which his right leg hit the body of the right-back. The Real Madrid attacker, brought back from the France national team after a six-year absence, was treated with a spray on the sidelines, was taped and continued to play football for several minutes. He then concluded that it was no longer possible, so Didier Deschamps chose to fill in Giroud.

That doesn’t look good for the French?? Karim Benzema has to leave the field injured after going wrong ??#ZiggoSport #FRABUL pic.twitter.com/durlax97RM

— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) June 8, 2021

The coaching staff informed journalist Carine Galli from the sidelines in an initial response that the pain in Benzema appears to be the result of a ‘tap’ and does not necessarily indicate a serious injury. France were leading 1-0 at the time of the striker’s resignation, after a bicycle kick from Antoine Griezmann was changed direction. That goal came just minutes before the incident with Benzema. Bulgaria tried to clear a pass from Kylian Mbappé, but inadvertently led in Griezmann’s bicycle kick; keeper Daniel Naumov had no chance due to a touch by Ivaylo Chochev. Five minutes before the break, Naumov cleverly prevented Griezmann from scoring his second goal of the evening.

After the break, France continued to look for opportunities to put Bulgaria at a greater disadvantage. A placed bet by Mbappé was parried by Naumov; halfway through the second half, the striker came in front of the keeper and shot low near the left post. Twelve minutes before the end, Bulgaria’s first serious chance arose when substitute Birsent Karageren shot diagonally wide from close range under French pressure. France seemed to realize they needed to step up their game and came in 2-0 as Giroud came in front of his man after a sharp cross from Pavard and scored his 45th international goal. Number 46 followed in the last minute of official time, when he rounded off from close range on a pass from Wissam Ben Yedder.