England Under-21s’ 15-game unbeaten run was brought to an unfortunate end in Bondoufle, after a brace from Celtic striker Moussa Dembele and a late free-kick from Wylan Cyprien fired France to a 3-2 victory.
The Young Lions, who haven’t been beaten since their European Championship defeat against Italy in June 2015, had taken the lead thanks to a stunning strike from Duncan Watmore and drawn level late on through Lewis Baker.
That came after falling behind to Dembele's double, including a controversial free-kick before a second set-piece from Cyprien sealed the win for France on a cold night in the Paris suburbs.
France 2-3 England
Under-21 International Match
Monday 14 November 2016
Stade Robert Bobin, Bondoufle
Live on BT Sport
It was still a useful outing for Aidy Boothroyd though, with the interim head coach making full use of his squad as preparations continue for next summer’s Euro finals.
There’s no such luck for Les Bleus though, with their failure to progress from the qualifying stage meaning this was the final game in charge for boss Pierre Mankowski.
Ironically, the two nations met in the same scenario in Brest almost two years to the day when France ran out winners by the same scoreline in a game where Harry Kane had put England ahead before Kingsley Coman scored a late winner.
England made a strong start again, controlling possession from the off before taking a ninth-minute lead when debutant Harry Winks played a first-time pass through for Watmore. The Sunderland forward burst past both Presnel Kimpembe and Lucas Hernandez before lifting an exquisite shot over Thomas Didillon from 25 yards.
That stunned the hosts into gear and they drew level ten minutes later, when Dembele was sent clear of the defence before blasting a shot past Jonathan Mitchell and into the top corner.
Both teams had chances to re-take the lead before the break, with Dominic Iorfa’s right-wing cross rolling agonisingly behind Tammy Abraham at one end before Kortney Hause and Nathaniel Chalobah were on hand to scramble clear when Dembele forced Mitchell into pawing a shot off the line.
The second half was less than two minutes old when Dembele had another opportunity, after Vincent Koziello’s pass into Jean Kevin Agustien was nodded down for the former Fulham and Paris Saint-Germain man, who was uncharacteristically off-target.
Mitchell then made a smart save to deny Pavard, whose angled low shot whizzed off the boot of Iorfa towards goal, with the debutant keeper doing well to get his body in the way.
But Dembele put the hosts ahead just after the hour mark, stroking a super free-kick over the wall and into the top corner after a foul was harshly awarded against Hause following a tangle with Agustien just outside the area.
Baker more than matched that with a free-kick of his own in the 80th minute, curling a fine shot around the wall and in off the base of the post from 25 yards.
Unfortunately, the Young Lions were undone by another free-kick just moments after that, as Cyprien blasted a shot past the despairing Mitchell at his near post to ensure bragging rights remain with the French on this occasion.
England Under-21s: 1 Jonathan Mitchell (Derby County); 2 Dominic Iorfa (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 5 Rob Holding (Arsenal), 6 Alfie Mawson (Swansea City), 3 Kortney Hause (Wolverhampton Wanderers), 8 Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur), 4 Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea) (c); 11 Duncan Watmore (Sunderland), 10 Lewis Baker (Vitesse Arnhem, loan from Chelsea), 7 Jack Grealish (Aston Villa); 9 Tammy Abraham (Bristol City, loan from Chelsea)
Substitutes: 16 James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) for Winks 65, 12 Isaac Hayden (Newcastle United) for Holding 81, 19 Nathan Redmond (Southampton) for Chalobah 81,14 Will Hughes (Derby County) for Grealish 88
Substitutes not used: 13 Angus Gunn (Manchester City), 15 Calum Chambers (Middlesbrough, loan from Arsenal), 17 Jack Stephens (Southampton), 18 Brendan Galloway (West Bromwich Albion, loan from Everton)
Interim head coach: Aidy Boothroyd
Goals: Duncan Watmore 9, Lewis Baker 80
Cautions: N/A
France U21s: 1 Thomas Didillon, 3 Presnel Kimpembe (c), 4 Jean Philippe Gbamin, 6 Lucas Tousart, 7 Moussa Dembele, 8 Yann Bodiger, 9 Jean Kevin Augustin, 10 Vincent Koziello, 18 Wylan Cyprien, 19 Lucas Hernandez, 21 Benjamin Pavard
Substitutes: 11 Sebastien Haller for Dembele 84
Substitutes not used: 16 Mike Maignan, 2 Clement Lenglet, , 14 Marcus Coco, 15 Leo Dubois, 20 Abdou Diallo
Head coach: Pierre Mankowski
Goals: Moussa Dembele 18, 64, Wylan Cyprien 83
Cautions: Bodiger 73, Kimpembe 79
Referee: Marco Fritz
