Celtic superstar Odsonne Edouard managed to keep his cool to send France under-21s on their way to a fine 2-0 win over Russia at the European Championship.
France desperately needed a win to give themselves any chance of qualifying for the latter stages this summer. And this one looked a tricky clash on paper too.
Russia had just come out of a fine 4-1 win vs Iceland on matchday one. It was the perfect opportunity for France to bounce back, but they had to be at their best to get a result.
And Edouard proved his worth for his country once again. After winning a first-half peanlty, Eddy managed to stay composed and slammed it right into the bottom right-hand corner. Take a look at the pen for yourself below:
https://twitter.com/adthelad57/status/1376257517244780544
The penalty was added to by another spotkick buried by Ikone. It meant that France would end up easing to a 2-0 win and pushed themselves up to second in the table. The top two will qualify for this summer’s knockout stage. France therefore have another must-win game vs Iceland on Wednesday night.
Celtic star Odsonne Edouard sees incredible France under-21 form continue
Another game, another goal for France under-21s for Odsonne Edouard. Celtic fans, of course, are entitled to raise an eyebrow.
Edouard has struggled for form and goals all season. Yet he goes away with the France youngsters and seems to find his shooting boots. It can be incredibly frustrating, but truth be told this was a boost for Celtic last night.
Edouard’s goal and the fact he won the penalty will see his transfer valuation boost slightly. Sure, it won’t push him up £10m or anything like that, but impressive performances in this competition increases demand. Scouts are often all over the under-21 European Championships.
In an ideal world, Edouard gets on the scoresheet once again vs Iceland. You wouldn’t bet against him either given how he tends to perform on this stage. If he does produce against the Icelandics, he’ll be nailed-on to feature in the knockout stages this summer. That’s where the real increase in valuation could happen.
For Edouard, it’s now 16 goals in 12 France under-21 appearances [Transfermarkt]. If only he had that same ratio this season then we would be celebrating the 10!.
But make no mistake, Edouard getting off the mark in this competition is good for all parties.
In other news, Patryk Klimala has been tipped to make a big impact next season.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
