Lacazette strike helps France down Denmark

• Alexandre Lacazette scores first international goal on sixth appearance
• Olivier Giroud adds second for Les Bleus seven minutes before half-time in friendly win
• Both marksmen among eight changes made by Didier Deschamps after Thursday's 3-1 Brazil loss
• AS Saint-Étienne goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier keeps clean sheet on his club ground
• Next games: France v Belgium (7 June, friendly), Denmark v Montenegro (8 June, friendly)

UEFA EURO 2016 hosts France outplayed Denmark in a convincing 2-0 victory to bounce back in style from the midweek friendly defeat by Brazil.

France were vibrant in attack and Alexandre Lacazette's first international goal, scored on the rebound in the 14th minute, came after some exquisite football. Olivier Giroud added a second in the 38th minute following great work by Geoffrey Kondogbia. Denmark threatened only sporadically, although Nicklas Bendtner did head against an upright on the half-time whistle. 

Remodelled France were into their stride from the off in Saint-Etienne, with a 4-2-3-1 formation seeing plenty of movement around centre-forward Giroud. Les Bleus were rewarded when a sensational move saw the impressive Dimitri Payet tee up Antoine Griezmann. Kasper Schmeichel saved but Ligue 1's top marksman Lacazette was there to finish emphatically.

Schmeichel made an exceptional stop, tipping over a lofted Lacazette attempt, while Payet, revelling in the playmaking role, bent one narrowly wide. It seemed inevitable France would increase their advantage and they duly did when Kondogbia made a powerful surge from midfield and picked out Giroud to provide a fine low finish across the Danish goalkeeper.

Denmark, hitherto lacking menace, could have pulled one back when Bendtner nodded a Michael Krohn-Dehli cross against the post. To make matters worse, Portugal beat Serbia 2-1 to move two points clear of the Danes as the new qualifying Group I leaders.