England vs. France: Winners and Losers from International Friendly
England earned their first victory over France since 1997 on Tuesday, with Dele Alli and Wayne Rooney goals sealing a 2-0 win on an emotional night at Wembley.
A minute's silence in respect and remembrance of those whose lives were lost during the Paris attacks last week was impeccably observed, and the home fans joined in singing France's national anthem La Marseillaise (as best they could) in a show of solidarity.
On the pitch, Alli netted a thunderbolt just before half-time, and Rooney guided an expert volley home minutes after the restart to seal the victory. The Three Lions were the better side throughout the match.
Here are Bleacher Report's winners and losers from Tuesday's international friendly.
Winner: Dele Alli, England
1 of 5
Step forward, Dele Alli: England's hero of the evening on Tuesday. An all-action performance from the Tottenham Hotspur man earned him the man-of-the-match award from ITV's live broadcast, and it's impossible to argue with the decision.
His terrier-like approach to football is a welcome energiser in Roy Hodgson's midfield, throwing his body around with gusto and embracing the nitty-gritty side of the game. He intimidated France's all-star midfield via sheer enthusiasm and physicality, then punished them with a rapier-like long shot into the top corner to open the scoring just before half-time.
It was he who won the ball and set Raheem Sterling off down the left to create Wayne Rooney's volleyed effort, and it was he who set the tone for a very good performance.
"[He was] close to faultless," Roy Hodgson admitted to journalists after the game, per Oliver Kay of the Times.
Loser: Morgan Schneiderlin, France
2 of 5
Competition for places in France's midfield is tough; one wrong move or one bad performance, and you're in trouble.
Morgan Schneiderlin looked to be on the verge of ousting Yohan Cabaye for the deep role in Didier Deschamps' midfield after the 2014 World Cup, but things have become a little murkier over the past three months.
Despite moving to Manchester United and performing well, Lassana Diarra's re-emergence on the scene has seen Deschamps ponder a late U-turn on who plays as his No. 6. Cabaye has joined Crystal Palace and produced an excellent run of form, too, leaving it all on Schneiderlin's plate to prove he's worth trusting.
On Tuesday, he didn't play well. Uncharacteristic losses of the ball haunted his game, and he was beaten in a 50/50 by Dele Alli in the build-up to the first goal. Not a good night's work.
Winner: Harry Kane, England
3 of 5
Wayne Rooney's excellent goal will rightly steal the column inches that Dele Alli fails to, but let's not forget another Tottenham Hotspur player who excelled on Tuesday night: Harry Kane.
He didn't get on the scoresheet, but as we've come to know, goals don't define his game. His all-round skill set was once again on display, threading good passes forward to spark counter-attacks and linking play superbly.
His aerial dominance and work rate also endear him to fans; at one point in the second half, he dispossessed Morgan Schneiderlin and piled toward goal to fashion a shot.
Loser: Laurent Koscielny, France
4 of 5
Laurent Koscielny struggled badly at Wembley on Tuesday night, and this will serve as a blot on his copybook as he vies for a starting position ahead of Euro 2016.
He looked unsure when hacking numerous balls clear and was turned inside out by Wayne Rooney on one counter-attacking run that ended in a shot just wide of the post. Compared to the reserved, composed Raphael Varane alongside him, he looked even worse.
Koscielny, 30, has never managed to hold down a regular place in the defence, and with the likes of Eliaquim Mangala and Mamadou Sakho sniffing for his spot, showings like these are damaging. It's entirely possible the emotion of the evening got the better of him.
Winner: Paul Pogba, France
5 of 5
Lassana Diarra, Morgan Schneiderlin or Yohan Cabaye? Blaise Matuidi or Geoffrey Kondogbia? Didier Deschamps has difficult questions to answer regarding two of his three midfield spots ahead of Euro 2016; the third one, however, is 100 percent sealed.
Paul Pogba came on in the second half and proceeded to rip England's midfield to shreds, creating chances and lifting two delicate, impudent long shots just over the bar. His impact in possession and just outside the box had the Three Lions scurrying around in desperate fashion.
Injury permitting, Pogba has a guaranteed starting spot come June 2016. Tuesday night only confirmed that he's on a different level to everyone else in the stadium.
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