Top two go head to head as France host Bosnia and Herzegovina
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
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France will look to defend their unbeaten record against Bosnia and Herzegovina as the top two sides in Group C go head-to-head in their final qualifcation match in Paris.
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The top two sides in Group C meet on the final day of the UEFA EURO 2012 qualifying group phase, with Bosnia and Herzegovina seeking their first victory over France.
• France's record in three games against their visitors reads W2 D1 L0 (W0 D1 L0 at home).
• France won 2-0 when the sides faced each other for the first time in Group C on 7 September 2010, thanks to second-half goals from Karim Benzema and Florent Malouda.
• Prior to that, the teams had only met in friendlies, the first ending 1-1 at the Stade de la Route de Lorient in Rennes on 18 August 2004 in what was Raymond Domenech's first match as France coach. His team got off to the best of starts through Péguy Luyindula after only seven minutes before the visitors equalised thanks to Ivica Grlić's 37th-minute riposte.
• Two years later, and just over a month after France's loss to Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final, the two teams met again at Sarajevo's Asim Ferhatović-Hase Stadium. This time, Les Bleus ran out 2-1 winners courtesy of a Julien Faubert strike in the first minute of added time, Sergej Barbarez having earlier put the hosts ahead only for William Gallas to reply close to the interval.
