Due to France's outstanding second-half goal by Benjamin Pavard, the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2024 qualification campaign got off to a losing start in Dublin. Five minutes after the break, Pavard intercepted a pass from Josh Cullen and scored past Gavin Bazunu, giving the Republic the lead after holding the French in a first half of little opportunities.
The Republic applied intense pressure to the defeated World Cup finalists late on, but they were unable to overcome Mike Maignan's breathtaking save, which stopped Nathan Collins from tying the score.
On June 16, the Republic will visit Greece for their subsequent qualifying match. But, France is already well on their way to qualifying for next year's championships in Germany after following up their slaughter of the Netherlands with a tight win in front of a boisterous Dublin crowd. In contrast, the Irish must wait over three months to attempt and get points.