Karim Benzema said he was happy with his performance despite a missed penalty as he made his first France appearance in almost six years in Wednesday’s 3-0 Euro 2020 friendly win over Wales in Nice.
Benzema had been left out of Didier Deschamps’ squad since October 2015 due to his alleged role in a blackmail plot.
Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele were on the scoresheet for the World Cup winners against the Euro 2016 semi-finalists, who had Neco Williams sent off for handling the ball in his area. “I felt good throughout the match. It’s a good omen for what’s to come. The key is to create chances, win and do better the next time to score more goals,” Benzema said.
Deschamps handed goalkeeper Hugo Lloris his 100th start as captain but midfielder N’Golo Kante was rested after winning the Champions League with Chelsea on Saturday. Deschamps’ counterpart Robert Page, standing in for regular boss Ryan Giggs as the former Manchester United winger faces charges of assault, kept Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey on the bench having last played in Serie A in April.
Benzema, who had scored twice against Armenia at the Allianz Riviera on his last international appearance, forced a save from Danny Ward after four minutes. His 82nd cap took a turn for the worse after 22 minutes despite his shot that resulted in Liverpool defender Williams’ red card and a penalty.
The Real Madrid forward stepped up but Ward saved the spot-kick superbly low to his right. Les Bleus stepped up the pressure with an extra man and broke the deadlock 10 minutes before the break. Adrien Rabiot’s shot from outside the box was pushed away by Ward but Mbappe poked home the volley for the opener.
Griezmann doubled the lead three minutes into the second half with a curled effort past a fully-stretched Ward. Dembele claimed his side’s third goal — and just his fourth for his country — with 11 minutes left after Benzema’s shot fired back off the post. France face Bulgaria on Tuesday before opening their Euro 2020 campaign by playing Germany in Munich on June 15. Wales host Albania on Saturday before heading to Baku to play Switzerland on June 12.

Depay rescues Netherlands against depleted Scotland
Memphis Depay scored twice to salvage a 2-2 draw for the Netherlands in a pre-Euro 2020 friendly on Wednesday against a Scotland side missing seven players following midfielder John Fleck’s positive Covid-19 test Celtic centre-back Jack Hendry drilled in from 20 yards to give Scotland an early lead in Faro with his first international goal, but Depay soon equalised with a crisp volley.
Kevin Nisbet put the Scots back ahead after coming on as a substitute on the hour, also netting his first Scotland goal in just his second appearance. David Turnbull curled just over and Craig Gordon made a fine save from Patrick van Aanholt’s deflected strike.
However the Scotland goalkeeper was rooted to the spot as Depay bent an 89th-minute free-kick around the wall to snatch an equaliser for the Dutch.
David Marshall, Stephen O’Donnell, Nathan Patterson, Grant Hanley, John McGinn and Che Adams all stayed behind at Scotland’s training base in Spain as a matter of precaution, with Fleck confined to his hotel room.
The Netherlands have also been affected by Covid-19, as goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was dropped from the squad by coach Frank de Boer after testing positive last week.
Scotland will appear at the finals of a major tournament for the first time since the 1998 World Cup, while the Dutch return to the big stage after failing to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.
Steve Clarke’s Scotland face England, Croatia and the Czech Republic in Group D. The Netherlands are in Group C along with Austria, Ukraine and North Macedonia.