体坛英语新闻：France defeats Albania 2-0 in Euro 2020 qualifiers

TIRANA, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Albania's national football team lost 2-0 against France here on Sunday night in the final round of Group H for the Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Albania played France at the "Air Albania" stadium, the new national stadium was inaugurated in the capital city Tirana about one hour before the kickoff with the performance of over 400 children in the pitch.

The host team started the game pressing with great intensity, but it was France that took the lead in the eighth minute when the 25-year-old midfielder Corentin Tolisso scored an assist from the left by forward Antoine Griezmann who made his own in the 30th minute.

In the 68th minute, Tolisso almost scored another but was unable to guide his header on target, before French forward Olivier Giroud hit the woodwork in the 72nd minute.

France has qualified for Euro 2020 as Group H winner with 25 points, whereas Albania ranked fourth with 13 points and had lost hope for qualification even before the match.

The match was the 100th for French coach Didier Deschamps, and the first for Albania in its newly built national stadium.