8 hours ago
6
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
66 mins: France changes … Gago and Bogaert on, Bacha and Malard off.
64 mins: Barton and Woodham off, Roberts and Cain on for Wales.
GOAL! Diani crosses from the right, Middleton-Patel comes to claim but completely misses the ball and Geyoro taps home.
GOAL! France 4-1 Wales (Geyoro, 63)
Game, set and match.
62 mins: The Wales energy levels are dropping. I would suggest this is a good time to make some changes as they are struggling to press effectively.
60 mins: Malard twists and turns on the left and fires a cross into the box. Green is there and makes enough contact to deceive the French attackers.
58 mins: A poor pass backwards from Malard is seized upon by Holland inside the area. She takes a poor first touch but still has a chance to shoot, albeit from a tight angle. Her shot takes a deflection and Wales win a corner.
56 mins: Oh Wales! Architects of their own downfall. They have worked so hard but bad decisions see them two goals behind.
GOAL! Wales were messing about with the ball at the back. Middleton-Patel took far too much time to clear it and lost the ball, allowing Majri to whack into an almost empty net.
GOAL! France 3-1 Wales (Majri, 53)
Dreadful play from Middleton-Patel gifts the goal.
51 mins: Holland whips the free-kick it and Fishlock tries to take possession on a couple of occasions but it just will not stick at her feet.
France break down the other end and pass over the top could cause a problem but Middleton-Patel comes to claim.
49 mins: Holland bursts into the box but a couple of French bodies are waiting for her, taking the ball back as the Wales midfielder tumbles.
James then wins a free-kick on the left after being pulled back. This is what Wales need.
47 mins: France are enjoying the early possession and will be eager to maintain this for the next 43 minutes.
Second half
Here we go again!
Konrad (from Germany) emails: “I saw Wales singing the anthem with the same fervour as the Brazilians did before the semifinal in 2014. Thus, I am surprised by the very good performance of the Welsh team in the first half, despite conceding two goals so far. Go on, Cymru!”
Half-time reading.
Half time: France 2-1 Wales
Wales worked so hard to get back into the game but then threw it away with the late first-half penalty. There is plenty to be encouraged by and they know they can level up again, if they can reach their best level.
45+4 mins: Wales get a corner on the right thanks to the hard work of Ffion Morgan. Woodham swings it in but France are untroubled.
45+2 mins: Wales will just want to get into the break now one goal behind.
45 mins: Six minutes added on.
GOAL! France 2-1 Wales (Diani, pen, 45)
The penalty goes down the middle, hitting Middleton-Patel’s feet and trickling into the net.
44 mins: PENALTY TO FRANCE! A silly challenge from Holland on Mateo gifts France the chance to take the lead.
43 mins: Wales needlessly play themselves into trouble with some bizarre passing it around at the back. France close them down and win the ball but it ricochets away from anyone in blue.
42 mins: There was a brief penalty check after the most recent France corner. I think the ball bounced up in the vicinity of an arm but that were to be given as a penalty, we might as well all pack up now.
Bacha is booked for catching Barton in the back of the head. It was a weird attempt to win a header from the French player.
40 mins: A few hearts in mouths as Middleton-Patel dives feet first at the feet of Malard but she times it perfectly, giving away a penalty only.
The corner bounces around a bit until Majri pings a shot over from the edge of the box.
38 mins: Geyoro chips a cross to the back post but it is Woodham waiting there without a French player in sight. She takes a touch and whacks it clear. Wales are currently defending with 11 players behind the ball.
Middleton-Patel is down and wants treatment. I wonder if there is currently some tactical instructions are being offered to her teammates.
36 mins: Mateo does well to find space in the box but she is another to see a cross cleared by a well-positioned Welsh defender. Wales are defending the box extremely well.
34 mins: Woodham is left holding her shin after N’Dongala catches her but there is no obvious reason to produce a card.
32 mins: N’Dongala produces a superb turn on the right flank to create space for herself but her low cross is well defended in the area.
30 mins: Middleton-Patel is about to take a goal-kick but then some lag throws a second ball onto the pitch. What are they like?
28 mins: Malard takes aim from around 30 yards but it is always going over.
27 mins: This is quite an entertaining game and still we are having to suffered through a Mexican wave.
Fishlock seems to have run off the injury but I am sure it will result in a nice big bruise. I wouldn’t advise taking the boot off at half time.
25 mins: There are some concerned Welsh face on the pitch and in the stands as Fishlock puts her hands to her face, grimacing with pain. The Wales players are trying to suggest the challenge deserves a red card but I can confirm it does not.
Fishlock hobbles back on.
23 mins: Bacha takes the resulting free-kick from around 25 yards but her shot goes well over the bar.
Fishlock is back on the deck after Geyoro catches her on the top of the boot. It looks painful.
21 mins: Ffion Morgan battles for the ball down the left flank with Samoura and just about manages to keep it in play at the byline. The forward jabs it back into a dangerous area but there is no one in a Wales shirt in the vicinity.
Fishlock goes into the book for a late challenge on Toletti.
19 mins: If there was a little nervousness among the Welsh ranks at kick-off, their first major tournament goal should be a fine boost.
17 mins: There is a quick check to make sure Fishlock is OK. She wanders over the touchline with the physio but she looks good to go again.
15 mins: Fishlock did enjoy celebrating twice there, first when the ball went into the net and then when VAR gave the goal.
The more concerning news is Fishlock is being treated after a heavy fall.
GOAL! France 1-1 Wales (Fishlock, 13)
Fishlock has the ball into the back of the net after Holland is played through before being tackled, but she somehow gets the ball over to Fishlock who turns it home. The assistant rules it out for offside but VAR intervenes and there are some incredible limbs among the Wales fans.
12 mins: Wales make it out of their own half for the first time but possession is lost around 25 yards from goal. I suspect their plan will not change immediately because they really need to keep things tight for as long as possible in the hope they can nick a goal (or two).
10 mins: Esther Morgan will be disappointed that she completely lost Mateo there, giving her the time to control the ball before scoring. It was a quality finish but she was certainly afford the space to do it.
GOAL! France 1-0 Wales (Mateo, 8)
Mateo slips in down the right and takes a shot which is deflected off Evans’ shin and onto the post. France have a corner, which finds Mateo in space at the back post, she takes a touch and volleys home.
6 mins: Wales are playing in. 4-4-1-1 with Fishlock just behind Ffion Morgan. They seem to have a plan to play on the break.
4 mins: The early exchanges suggest that it will be a difficult night for Wales. France look a little sharper but Wales are well-organised and limiting the space available as much as possible.
2 mins: France look dangerous inside the opening 30 seconds. Wales need Middleton-Patel to come out and snuff out, giving away a corner in the process but it is easily cleared.
Diani gets down the right soon after and has space to cross but Wales scramble it clear.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
Bucket hats galore.
The players are in the tunnel. The noise is being ramped up.
Yma o hyd is being belted out.
Back to the old team news … Wales have made four changes to freshen things up after the defeat to Netherlands. The big news is that Safia Middleton-Patel starts in net, and she is joined in the starting lineup by Rachel Rowe, Kayleigh Barton and Ffion Morgan. Olivia Clark, Hayley Ladd, Hannah Cain and Rhiannon Roberts drop out.
Getting warm.
Rumours of England’s demise are somewhat over-exaggerated.
More on the Wales bus crash.
Shep-en-Isis has lain in a glass coffin there for more than 200 years after being removed from her tomb on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor and, eventually, gifted to the north-eastern Swiss city. Just lately, though, there has been quite an argument about whether she should leave her adopted monastic home and be returned to Egypt.
Louise Taylor takes a look at Wales’s chances.
Starting lineups
France: Peyraud-Magnin, Samoura, Sombath, Toletti, Geyoro, Malard, Majri, Diani, Bacha, Mateo, N’Dongala
Subs: Lerond, Picaud, Lakrar, De Almeida, Karchaoui, Katoto, Gago, Baltimore, Jean-Francois, Mbock Batty, D Cascarino, Bogaert
Wales: Middleton-Patel; Woodham, Evans, Green, Holland, James, Barton, Fishlock, Rowe, E Morgan, FF Morgan
Subs: Clark, Soper, Ingle, Roberts, Cain, Ladd, Hughes, Estcourt, Joel, Powell, Jones, Griffiths
Preamble
This is the moment for Wales, they need something here to stay in the competition. They were brushed aside by the Netherlands and then their team bus crashed, forcing training to be cancelled. Obviously reaching this tournament is an incredible achievement for the Welsh but what an historic moment it would be to get points on the board.
France, on the other hand, want qualification for the knockout stages done and dusted tonight. They will want six points on the board going into a final game against the Netherlands. France were the better side in their opening victory over England and a similar performance here would make them a very difficult opponent for the Welsh.
Kick-off: 8pm BST/9 CET
