Report: France 5-3 England MU21s

England men's under-21s lost an eight-goal thriller by 5-3 against France in Lee Carsley’s first game back in charge at Stade du Moustoir in Lorient.

James McAtee opened the scoring before Harvey Elliott reduced England’s arrears after three French goals stunned the away side.

Liam Delap again brought the Young Lions to within a goal after France scored a fourth, but the hosts capitalised on Elliott's missed penalty to score a fifth and wrap up victory.

England made the perfect start to the match with just a minute on the clock, when McAtee smashed the ball home from inside the six-yard box after Elliott’s corner was helped on its way by a combination of Delap and Jaden Philogene.

Gérald Baticle’s side hit straight back when Quentin Merlin picked up Rayan Cherki’s through ball in the penalty area and stroked the ball past James Beadle two minutes later.

The comeback was complete when France then took the lead in the seventh minute, as Cherki floated a diagonal ball in behind the England defence and Hugo Ekitiké beat Beadle to finish from just inside the area.

Both sides enjoyed lots of space in a free-flowing, attacking half and Carsley’s team threatened an equaliser when Philogene’s right-footed strike from the edge of the box hit the post after Obed Nkambadio had earlier kept out efforts from the England No. 7 and Elliot Anderson.

It was the home side who landed the next telling strike on 35 minutes as Ekitiké tapped home after Wilson Odobert fired the ball across goal.

The visitors continued to battle and were rewarded for their persistence with their second of the evening two minutes later.

Anderson’s cross was cushioned across goal by McAtee’s header and Elliott was able to stab the ball home at the back post for his ninth England MU21 goal.

The same pair almost combined again just before the break when McAtee played in Elliott after a driving run, but the Liverpool man’s shot was straight at Nkambadio.

It was France who started the second half brighter and ten minutes after the restart, Ekitiké completed his hat-trick, again scoring from close range after another Odobert cross.

The Young Lions refused to roll over and reduced to the deficit to one goal for the second time as Delap nodded home on 61 minutes after McAtee’s cross, which originally hit the woodwork, fell the way of the Ipswich Town forward.

Elliott had the opportunity to level proceedings from the penalty spot minutes later, after Rico Lewis was bundled over by Chrislain Matsima but fired over.

And Cherki netted Les Bleuets’ fifth after 76 minutes before Omari Hutchinson was sent off towards the end of the encounter.

England: 1. James Beadle (Sheffield Wednesday, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), 2. Rico Lewis (Manchester City), 5. Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton), 7. Jaden Philogene (Ipswich Town), 8. Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), 9. Liam Delap (Ipswich Town), 10. James McAtee (Manchester City), 15. CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), 16. Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth), 19. Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), 20. Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)

Substitutes: 3. Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse) for Taylor Harwood-Bellis 62’, 4. Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton) for Lewis 73, 23. Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland) for Anderson 73, 12. Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion) for Scott 73, 17. Sam Iling-Junior (Middlesbrough, on loan from Aston Villa) for Philogene 73, 11. Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town) for Delap 78, 6, Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough) for Wharton 78, 14. Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur) for Egan-Riley 78, 24. Ronnie Edwards (Queens Park Rangers, on loan from Southampton) for Elliott 78, Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal) for McAtee 89

Substitutes not used: 13. Tommy Simkin (Walsall, on loan from Stoke City), 21. 22. Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Doncaster Rovers, on loan from Chelsea),

Goals: McAtee 2’, Elliott 37’, Delap 61’