Five talking points from Republic of Ireland 0-1 France

Benjamin Pavard's stunning strike helped France continue their red-hot Euro 2024 qualification form by edging past a resilient Republic of Ireland to clinch a 1-0 win at the Aviva Stadium. 

Stephen Kenny's side did well to keep Les Bleus at bay in the first half, with Antoine Griezmann coming closest when he headed Pavard's cross just wide. 

However, the World Cup runners-up finally broke through in the 50th minute when Pavard pounced on a meek Josh Cullen pass and powered home from range. 

The hosts almost snatched a point when Nathan Collins headed towards the top corner, but new France No1 Mike Maignan provided a stunning save to secure victory.

The result ensured that France maintained their winning start to the Euro 2024 qualifiers after smashing the Netherlands 4-0 last Friday.

Here are the five key talking points from Dublin.

Pavard rescues frustrated France

Didier Deschamps' side were exasperated by the number of wasted chances they had early on. 

In the first half alone they had six shots — with only one on target — the best of which came from Griezmann who flashed his header for the top corner wide in the 38th minute. 

Pavard proved to be the difference immediately after the break when he smashed a strike off the crossbar and into the back of the net, leaving Irish stopper Gavin Bazunu helpless.

The individual quality was needed to topple what was a defiant defensive display from the hosts.

Defensive strength

The Republic of Ireland showed great grit and determination against the visitors, with John Egan marshalling the defence to keep the wealth of attacking talent away from goal.

It was a strong team display from Kenny's side, who remained compact defensively, fought for one another and were strong in their individual battles.

While the end result will come as a disappointment for the hosts, it presented a show of promise and potential that they can compete with the big boys.

After the match, Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman gave a positive review.

He said: "I thought we performed well. It was really disappointing. I thought the crowd were magnificent. France, to be fair, were holding on at the end but you get no points for that. 

"We played well, which is a positive, and there are things to be happy about heading into the summer games."

Maignan magic

Following Hugo Lloris' retirement from international football, France were left with a big hole to fill between the sticks. 

However, the performance of Maignan will have them feeling confident for the future after the AC Milan stopper produced two wonderful saves late in the game.

The first came in the 89th minute when he prevented a Jules Kounde own goal with his cat-like reflexes. 

From the subsequent corner, Maignan was at full stretch to deny Collins' firm header from flying into the top corner using a strong hand to divert the effort.

The stops were crucial to keeping back-to-back clean sheets for Les Bleus and securing all three points. 

Even more experience for Evan

Following a stellar performance against Latvia, Evan Ferguson held his spot in the starting XI but was not able to have the same impact in front of goal. 

The 18-year-old made numerous attacking runs that kept the France backline on their toes and held the ball up well bringing his team-mates into the game in the first half.

However, after Kylian Mbappe's warning ahead of the match, Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate seemed keenly aware of his danger and managed to keep the teenager at bay.

Ferguson was hauled off in the second half in what was a disappointing end — but this match was a necessary learning experience for the Brighton striker against a formidable opposition.

Mbappe kept quiet

New France captain Mbappe was unable to build upon his dominant goalscoring form for Les Bleus. 

The Paris Saint-Germain forward scored two and assisted one during France's 4-0 win over the Dutch but was unable to have his usual impact against Ireland.

Coleman did well throughout the match to frustrate the World Cup Golden Boot winner and prevent him from getting into dangerous positions or embarking on too many of his mazy runs. 

Compared to his usual standards it was a quiet night for the 24-year-old superstar.