Giroud scores 2 as France beats Sweden 4-2 and relegates it

Striker Olivier Giroud scored twice for France as the Nations League group winner beat Sweden 4-2 and relegated it on Tuesday.

Unbeaten France had already booked its place in the Final Four after ensuring the top spot in League 1, Group 3 with a 1-0 win at defending champion Portugal last Saturday.

Croatia stayed in the top league despite losing 3-2 to Portugal at home, meaning Sweden finished bottom on goal difference behind the Croats.

The Swedes took the lead at Stade de France in the fifth minute when midfielder Viktor Claesson broke into the area, skipped past two tackles and poked a shot that clipped defender Raphael Varane and wrong-footed goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Marcus Thuram — son of famed France defender Lilian Thuram — was involved in both goals as Giroud equalized in the 16th and right back Benjamin Pavard put Les Bleus ahead in the 36th.

After Giroud started a counterattack from midfield, the ball was fed to Thuram down the left and his pinpoint cross was adroitly turned into the bottom left corner by Giroud.

Thuram then showed great footwork to weave past three defenders in the area and spin around a fourth. Although he lost control of the ball, it broke to Pavard on the right of the area and he drilled it firmly into the bottom left with the outside of his foot.

Giroud, who has hardly played for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, should have scored when he headed Pavard's cross from the right wide when unmarked in the 53rd.

But he made no mistake six minutes later, meeting substitute Kylian Mbappé's cross from the left with a diving header to move onto 44 international goals and close in on Thierry Henry's national record of 51.

Giroud almost set up Antoine Griezmann, directing a pass down with his chest which the Barcelona forward blazed over the crossbar in the 75th.

Substitute Robin Quaison gave the Swedes hopes of rescuing a draw when he bundled in left back Pierre Bengtsson's cross with two minutes left in regulation time.

With every Sweden player, including the goalkeeper, camped around the goal for a last-gasp corner, France cleared the ball and Kingsley Coman ran through from midfield to roll the ball into an empty net from 40 meters out with the game's last kick.