James Maddison and Curtis Jones have become the first two players to be cut from England's squad ahead of Euro 2024.
Maddison and Jones both made Gareth Southgate's preliminary 33-man party, but neither started Monday's 3-0 friendly win over Bosnia and Herzegovina despite the Three Lions fielding an experimental team.
Tottenham man Maddison was reduced to a substitute role as Eberechi Eze, Cole Palmer and Jarrod Bowen started in the absence of key men Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka.
Liverpool midfielder Jones, meanwhile, was an unused substitute and is still yet to win his first senior international cap.
On Wednesday, reports suggested Maddison had become the first player to learn he had been cut from the Three Lions' party, with reports of Jones being cut swiftly following. His Liverpool team-mate Jarell Quansah is also not expected to make the final squad.
On Thursday, it was confirmed via England's social media accounts that both players had left the camp ahead of Friday's meeting with Iceland at Wembley Stadium.
Reacting to the news in a post on X, Maddison wrote: "Devastated doesn't quite cut it.
"I trained well and worked hard all week but if I'm honest with myself, my form for Spurs when coming back from injury in the second half of the season probably wasn't at the levels I had set, which gave Gareth a decision to make.
"I still thought there would be a space for me in a 26-man squad as I feel I bring something different and had been a mainstay in this whole qualifying campaign but the manager has made the decision and I have to respect that. I'll be back, I have no doubt.
"Wishing the boys all the luck in the world out in Germany, unbelievable group and lads that I literally call some of my best friends. I genuinely hope football comes home."
Maddison made a flying start to the season upon joining Tottenham from Leicester City but saw his form tail off badly after he suffered an ankle injury in November, which sidelined him for almost three months.
When Maddison suffered his injury in a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on November 6, he led all players in the Premier League for chances created (31), was joint-top for assists (five) and ranked third in the competition for expected assists (3.2 xA) after 11 games.
He only recorded another four assists, created 36 chances and amassed 3.1 xA in a further 18 appearances before the end of the season.
Jones, meanwhile, made 23 Premier League appearances for Liverpool in 2023-24, 14 of them starts. He only managed one goal and one assist in the competition as the Reds finished third in Jurgen Klopp's final season at the helm.
Twenty-seven England players took part in full training on Thursday, with Lewis Dunk, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw all following individual programmes as the latter duo continue their recovery from injuries.
Suriname, Curacao, Nicaragua, and Guatemala opened their Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers account on a winning note, while Trinidad and Tobago had to come from behind to secure a point against Grenada in Second Round action across the region on Wednesday.
While the four winners pocketed three points to take pole positions in their respective groups, Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada shared the spoils after a 2-2 stalemate, and so too did Antigua and Barbuda and Bermuda, who battled to a 1-1 scoreline.
Antigua and Barbuda vs Bermuda
Antigua and Barbuda and Bermuda locked horns in Group A at the ABFA Technical Centre in Piggotts.
Raheem Deterville sent the hosts in front with a 26th-minute strike from inside of the penalty arc. The assist came from a long pass over the top by D’Andre Bishop.
However, Bermuda rescued a point in the 90th through Sachiel Ming, who picked up a pass from Kane Crichlow and slotted home from close range.
Up next for Antigua and Barbuda is a trip to the Cayman Islands on Saturday, while Bermuda will host Honduras on Sunday at the Bermuda National Sports Centre.
Suriname vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname registered a comfortable 4-1 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to get their Group F campaign going at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo.
Oalex Anderson gave St Vincent and Grenadines a dream start, when he pounced on a loose ball and converted in the 31st minute.
But Sheraldo Becker pulled Suriname level in the 39th from the penalty spot after Immanuel-Johannes Pherai was taken down inside the danger area.
Jeredy Hilterman then pushed Suriname ahead in the 45+3 minutes as he rose above defenders to head home from Pherai’s weighted cross.
From 2-1 at the break, Suriname wasted little time to press the ascendancy on the resumption, as Justin Lonwijk pushed them further ahead with a well-taken 46th-minute effort, to make it 3-1.
Jaden Montnor then capped the win in the 70th minute.
Suriname will visit Anguilla on Saturday, while Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will remain in Suriname to play host to El Salvador, at the same venue, on Sunday.
Trinidad and Tobago vs. Grenada
Trinidad and Tobago’s opener produced a less than desirable outcome, as they had to dig deep for the 2-2 stalemate with Grenada in Group B action at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
The Soca Warriors found themselves on the backfoot when Myles Hippolyte converted a 24th-minute penalty to gift Grenada an early lead, after the ball was handled inside the red zone.
And before they could catch their breaths, Grenada doubled the lead four minutes later when Hippolyte rifled home off the volley, beating Trinidad and Tobago’s custodian Denzil Smith, all ends up in the 28th minute.
Needing to respond, Trinidad and Tobago did just that through Ryan Telfer, who got on the end of a through pass from Reon Moore and calmly slotted home in the 43rd to make it 2-1 at the break.
Moore later found the equalizer in the 74th from a well-worked counter attack to secure a share of the spoils.
Trinidad and Tobago will next be away to Bahamas on Saturday in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, with Grenada to host Costa Rica on Sunday in St. George's.
Curaçao vs. Barbados
Curaçao began their campaign with a tidy 4-1 victory over Barbados in Group C action at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad.
Rangelo Janga opened the scoring in the 25th with a close range effort.
Curacao had to wait until the 62nd to double their lead as Janga again found space inside the area to slot home. He completed his hat-trick in the 85th from the penalty spot.
Niall Reid-Stephen pulled one back for Barbados in the 90+2, also from the 12-yard spot. But Gervane Kastaneer found another for Curacao which served as icing on the cake.
Curaçao will visit Aruba in Oranjestad on Saturday, while Barbados will host Haiti in Bridgetown on Sunday.
Nicaragua vs. Montserrat
Nicaragua also completed a 4-1 win over Montserrat in Group D at the National Football Stadium in Managua.
It was a frantic start to the contest, as the host went ahead through Jaime Moreno, who expertly headed home in the fourth minute. But Brandon Barzey pulled Montserrat level in the 10th.
However, that was all the visitors would get as Junior Arteaga pushed Nicaragua back in front with a well-taken 23rd-minute freekick.
Jacob Montes fired home from the edge of the 18-yard box to extend the lead in the 70th, before Harold Medina capped the win in the 90+3.
Nicaragua will visit Belize on Saturday in Belmopan. Montserrat will remain in Managua to face Panama on Sunday.
Guatemala vs. Dominica
Guatemala registered the widest victory margin on the day, as they hammered Dominica 6-0 in Group E at the Doroteo Guamuch Flores Stadium in Guatemala City.
Alejandro Galindo started the rout in the third minute, before Allen Yanes headed in an Oscar Santis cross to make it 2-0 in the 28th.
Galindo completed his brace in the 49th when he converted off a follow-up attempt after Glenson Prince’s shot from a distance was kept out.
Rubio Rubin added his name to the scoresheet from a 59th-minute header, before Jose Martinez made it 5-0 in the 79th from a setplay.
Jose Morales capped the win in the 84th with a strike from distance.
Guatemala will play the British Virgin Islands on Saturday, while Dominica hosts Jamaica on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Lakers will move for Connecticut Huskies head coach Dan Hurley to succeed Darvin Ham, according to reports.
The Lakers fired Ham last month after suffering a five-game exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
They have only gone beyond the first round of the postseason once in four years since winning their last NBA championship in 2019-20, missing the playoffs in 2021-22.
According to a report from ESPN, the Lakers have interviewed several candidates for the role and have now settled on Hurley, who has had six seasons with UConn and led them to back-to-back national titles in the last two years.
The report said the Lakers are now preparing a huge, long-term contract offer to Hurley, who has previously spoken of his ambition to coach in the NBA.
Hurley has a 141-58 record with the Huskies and appears to have seen off competition from Charlotte Hornets assistant James Borrego, Boston Celtics assistant Sam Cassell and Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, all of whom were reportedly interviewed.
Novak Djokovic has confirmed his knee surgery has been successful following his withdrawal from the French Open earlier this week.
The Serbian aggravated an injury during his five-set triumph over Francisco Cerundolo in the fourth round at Roland-Garros before a scan revealed the extent of the damage sustained.
Djokovic was due to play Casper Rudd in the quarter-finals as he bid for a fourth French Open crown, but on Tuesday the reigning champion confirmed his withdrawal.
However, the 37-year-old is already eyeing a return to the court as he thanked fans for their support in a post on social media.
Djokovic said: "In the past day, I had to make some tough decisions after sustaining a meniscus tear during my last match. I’m still processing it all but I am happy to update you that the surgery went well.
"I am so appreciative of the team of doctors who have been by my side. As well as the overwhelming support I have received from my fans.
"I’m going to do my best to be healthy and fit to return to the court as soon as possible.
"My love for this sport is strong and the desire to compete at the highest level is what keeps me going."
It ended his hopes of a 25th grand slam title and will also see him lose his world number one ranking to Jannik Sinner, who faces Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the French Open, at the end of the tournament.
Uganda captain Brian Masaba spoke of his pride after his "special" team overcame Papua New Guinea for their first ever T20 World Cup victory on Wednesday.
Uganda, who are making their first appearance at a major global event across any of cricket's three formats, were held to just 58 runs as they lost their Group C opener against Afghanistan earlier this week.
However, they bounced back in style in their second match, edging over the line in the 19th over for a three-wicket victory in Guyana.
Speaking after the match, Masaba – who finished with figures of 17-1 through four overs – said: "I'm super proud of this group of guys. They've put in the work, they've put in such a shift.
"To get a win for their country at the World Cup is very, very special. There is no other way to say it – it's massive for Ugandan cricket.
"It has been quite a journey to make this happen. Getting to a World Cup was very special but this is even more special."
Papua New Guinea's total of 77 all out was their worst ever in the format, with Frank Nsubuga playing a starring role for Uganda by giving up just four runs from four overs.
That is the fewest allowed by a bowler through a full four overs at the T20 World Cup and the sixth fewest permitted in the format overall.
Papua New Guinea skipper Assad Vala, though, chose to focus on his own team's shortcomings with the bat.
"We had a lot of soft dismissals. I think anything just over 100 was a good score on that wicket, it was a challenging wicket to bat on," he said.
"They bowled really well but a lot of soft dismissals from us put them on top. They never gave us any chance to get back into the game. So, credit to them as well."
Igor Tudor has resigned from his position as Lazio head coach following the conclusion of the 2023-24 Serie A season.
The Croatian was appointed in March following Maurizio Sarri's resignation at the Stadio Olimpico, signing an 18-month contract.
However, the Biancocelesti have now confirmed his departure, despite Tudor having led the Italian side to a seventh-place finish and Europa League qualification.
"S.S. Lazio announces that, today, Igor Tudor has resigned as head of the first team," the statement read.
"The Club would like to thank the coach for his work and wishes him the best of luck personally and professionally."
The 46-year-old started his coaching career in his home nation with Hajduk Split, for whom he made 66 appearances during his playing days.
Tenures in Greece and Turkey would follow, before Tudor moved to Serie A for the first time in 2018 with Udinese, who he coached on two separate occasions in the space of a year.
Tudor also took charge of Hellas Verona and Marseille, leading the French club to a third-place finish in Ligue 1 and ensuring qualification for the Champions League before returning to Italy in March, though his Lazio spell has proved short-lived.
Mitchell Marsh has confirmed Mitchell Starc's early exit from Australia's T20 World Cup win over Oman was precautionary after he complained of cramp.
In the Oman innings, Starc began to limp after bowling the first delivery of the 15th over, handing the ball over to Glenn Maxwell before making his way off the field.
Australia – who are looking to add the T20 crown to the 50-over World Cup they won in India last year – had been in a spot of bother early in their own innings, but Marcus Stoinis' unbeaten 67 helped them reach 164-5, which proved beyond Oman.
The victory takes Australia top of Group B after England's opener against Scotland was abandoned on Tuesday.
Australia face their old rivals in their second match of the tournament at the Kensington Oval on Saturday, and Marsh expects Starc to be fine for that contest.
"Starcy was just cramp so we didn't want to take a chance," Marsh said.
"When Starcy asks if he's okay to go off, you let him go off."
Reflecting on the victory – Australia's eighth in their last nine T20 World Cup matches – Marsh added: "It was a close game but it's good to get the win. It's not going to be the 200 types in this tournament.
"We are kind of going back to the old T20 style here in this tournament. We might get few wickets that are good for batting but that's the old T20, right?
"Things may look a little different on these sorts of wickets, but I think that's exciting. We go on to England now and hopefully that'll be a good game with a good crowd."
Marcelo Bielsa questioned Mexico's approach after Darwin Nunez scored a hat-trick in Uruguay's comprehensive 4-0 friendly win over El Tri in Denver.
Uruguay warmed up for their Copa America campaign with their seventh win in 12 games under Bielsa (three draws, two defeats), thrashing a much-changed Mexico side.
With Mexico set to face Brazil in their final pre-tournament friendly on Saturday, head coach Jaime Lozano benched the likes of Santiago Gimenez and Alexis Vega and saw his team torn to shreds.
Uruguay raced into a 3-0 lead by half-time as Nunez netted twice and Facundo Pellistri converted Brian Rodriguez's cross, then the Liverpool man made it a treble by finishing into an empty net shortly after the interval.
After the win, former Leeds United boss Bielsa suggested Mexico took the game lightly, saying: "I think a team that is preparing should have taken today's game with maximum power, knowing that they have to play Brazil."
However, Bielsa expects far more from El Tri at the Copa America, where they have been drawn in Group B alongside Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica.
"It was a deceptive result, in the first half Mexico could have scored and it would have been different," he said.
"Don't lose sight of the fact that today there were many important players out of the team, too many.
"Keeping the stars they had on the field today and adding the players that came on, Mexico will be a very difficult opponent."
Uruguay begin their Copa America campaign against Panama on June 23, taking on Bolivia four days later and rounding off Group C against the host nation, the United States.
Australia overcame a rough start to open their T20 World Cup campaign with victory, as Marcus Stoinis dominated with bat and ball in a 39-run win over Oman.
Mitchell Marsh's side, who are hoping to follow in England's footsteps by capturing both limited-overs world titles after winning the ODI crown last year, slipped to 50-3 when Glenn Maxwell fell for a golden duck.
However, Stoinis (67 not out) teamed up with David Warner (56) to put on a partnership of 102 as they reached 164-5.
Stoinis was dropped soon after coming in and Oman would regret missing that opportunity as he smashed two fours and six maximums off his 36 deliveries faced.
The all-rounder was equally impressive with the ball, posting figures of 3-19, including the vital wicket of Oman skipper Aqib Ilyas (18) six overs in. Ayaan Khan hit 36 for Oman but their challenge was as good as over when he was bowled by Adam Zampa for his 300th T20 wicket.
However, Australia's win did come with an injury scare as Mitchell Starc left the field during his final over with an apparent calf issue, just three days out from their meeting with England in Barbados.
Data Debrief: Stoinis in exclusive club
Stoinis showed his talents as a true all-rounder on Wednesday, becoming just the third player to score 50 or more runs and take three or more wickets in a single T20 World Cup match, and the first since Shane Watson achieved the feat twice in 2012.
Aaron Judge drove in five more runs and Carlos Rodon won his sixth straight start as the New York Yankees rolled to their seventh consecutive victory with another win over the Minnesota Twins, 9-5 on Wednesday night.
Judge had an RBI groundout in a four-run first against Chris Paddack, lined a three-run triple in the fifth and added a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.
Judge is 10 for 21 with four home runs, a double, a triple and 15 RBIs in his last six games. He has 54 RBIs this season, second in the majors behind Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez (58).
The Yankees have won six straight against the Twins dating to last season and are 106-42 in the series since 2002.
New York, which has outscored Minnesota 28-7 in winning all five meetings in 2024, matched its longest win streak of the season and is tied with Philadelphia for the majors’ best record.
Rodon retired the first 16 batters before Carlos Santana homered with one out in the sixth. The left-hander allowed two runs on three hits in six innings, striking out nine and walking none.
Royce Lewis homered in the seventh on his 25th birthday, a day after he went deep in his return from a strained right quadriceps that sidelined him for 58 games. Lewis became the first player in franchise history to homer in his first three games of a season.
Pivetta dominates Braves as Red Sox win
Nick Pivetta pitched one-hit ball over seven innings and Rafael Devers hit a pair of home runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 9-0 rout of the Atlanta Braves.
Pivetta allowed his only hit on an Austin Riley leadoff single in the fourth inning and struck out nine with two walks.
Zach Kelly and Brad Keller each worked one scoreless inning to finish up the one-hitter.
Devers hit a solo homer in the second inning and added a two-run shot in the seventh for the 17th multi-homer game of his career.
Jarren Duran also went deep for the Red Sox, who moved back to .500 by completing a 3-3 homestand.
Braves rookie Spencer Schwellenbach was tagged for six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in his second career start.
Cubs walk-off lowly White Sox
Mike Tauchman homered to lead off the ninth inning and the Chicago Cubs rallied again to finish a two-game sweep with a 7-6 win over the Chicago White Sox, who lost their 13th straight game.
Tauchman sent Michael Kopech’s second pitch in the ninth deep to center for his first career game-ending home run.
One night after blowing a 5-0 lead, the White Sox squandered a 5-1 advantage in this one.
Cody Bellinger had a run-scoring fielder’s choice in the fifth and another run scored on a balk to get the Cubs within 5-3. They took the lead with three runs in the seventh on a wild pitch, Bellinger’s sacrifice fly and Ian Happ’s broken-bat RBI single.
Corey Julks and Paul DeJong homered for the White Sox, who have lost 17 of 18 to drop to a major league-worst 15-47.
They have led by at least two runs at one point in each of their last five losses. The 13-game skid matches the single-season franchise record set in 1924.
While disappointed that the adjusted time of their opening Concacaf World Cup qualifying fixture will affect spectator turnout, Reggae Boyz Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson and his team are focused on the task at hand, as they brace for a tough encounter against Dominican Republic.
Thursday’s second round Group E clash was initially scheduled for a 6:30pm kickoff, however, Concacaf opted to move the game up to 3:30pm to allay concerns about the poor lighting situation at the National Stadium.
Though an earlier kickoff is likely to result in hot and humid conditions, Hallgrimsson is forecasting a win for his team, as he stressed the importance of starting the campaign on a high, especially with only the top two from the group to progress. British Virgin Islands, Guatemala, and Dominica are the other teams in the group.
“It (the time) will of course affect how we play, but most of all, it's a shame that people cannot attend the game because people are at work at that time. But the most important thing is to win this game, I think Domincan Republic is the team that everybody should be on the lookout for because they are a tricky team to play so we want to take three points and start this World cup campaign on the front foot,” Hallgrimsson told journalists during a pre-game conference.
Jamaica will be without some of its first choice players for various reasons.
That said, the Icelandic coach is by no means expecting their Spanish-speaking Caribbean opponents to be pushovers, and is looking forward to a highly competitive and difficult contest.
“I feel like everybody think it's going to be an easy game for us, but I promise you it's not going to be. It's going to be an equal game because Dom Rep are a tactical and really improving team with really promising young players. They have been recruiting some really good players playing high level in Spain and England, so I am expecting a tough match,” he noted.
Hallgrimsson will be without a number of his first choice players –Demarai Gray, Amari’i Bell, Joel Latibeaudiere, Ethan Pinnock, Andre Blake and Dujuan Richards –due to injury, while Leon Bailey remains unavailable. However, the tactician is confident that his squad, which includes 17-year-old Adrian Reid Jr, possesses enough quality to get the job done.
Still, there is no doubt that the weight of the Reggae Boyz attack will rest on West Ham United’s Michail Antonio and Clermont’s Shamar Nicholson, both of whom Hallgrimsson insists will deliver the goods.
“Both of them have played really well for Jamaica, whether they are playing good for their clubs or not, and especially Shamar. He has really played some fantastic games for Jamaica, even though he's not even playing in his club, and we were really happy to see Michail coming back, progressing and getting sharper every game. So happy to have them both here. It's a good option for us up front, both powerful guys,” Hallgrimsson reasoned.
Michail Antonio expected to lead from the front.
Where Reid Jr is concerned, Hallgrimsson hinted at the possibility of the teenager getting his first senior international cap, as the Boyz will also be without right-back Dexter Lembikisa and midfielder Kasey Palmer, who will both serve card suspensions for the opening World Cup qualifying contest.
“I think for the younger players like Adrian, it's an opportunity for him to measure himself. He's a versatile player, he can play right back, and he can play in the middle, so we kind of don't know where he will end up, but it's really nice for me to get to look at him in this camp,” the coach shared.
“For other (players), it's an opportunity for them to step up and show what they can do and try to increase the depth in that position. Jamaica doesn't have many players playing at a high level in midfield, we have an abundance of wingers and strikers, but we don't have many, especially defensive midfielders,” he opined.
Regardless of which 11 players gets the start or whatever position they have to fill, Hallgrimsson declared that the objective remains the same.
“We're going to start the game on the front foot, try to get some tempo in and truly maximize the qualities we have. So we're thinking about our tactical approach, I won’t say here what we are going to do tactically, but we are going to start on the front foot, and try to put in some pressure right in the beginning,” he ended.
Alexander Zverev has no interest in recovering fitness as the world number four aims to push to an "absolute limit" at the French Open.
The German overcame Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Court Philippe-Chatrier, progressing to the Roland-Garros semi-finals for a fourth straight year on Wednesday.
Yet that does not tell the whole story as Zverev battled relentlessly to earn his 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 triumph over the Australian world number 11.
Falling 4-0 and 5-1 down in the second-set tie-break, Zverev seemed to afford De Minaur a route back into the match, only for the fourth seed to come crashing back in a response.
Zverev eventually sealed victory in just under three hours of the quarter-final meeting, and has every intention of pushing himself further for the last-four clash with Casper Ruud.
"Everybody in the press keeps asking me what I do for recovery and the answer is very simple – you don't recover after matches, you recover in the off-season," Zverev said in his on-court interview.
"I have the mindset you have to work harder than everyone else to be the best player. I like to work to my absolute limit. If I do that then playing five sets all of a sudden is not that difficult.
"I've been doing that over many years and I'm happy to be in another semi-final. Hopefully I can win one."
A fourth semi-final appearance in Paris means Zverev will equal Dominic Thiem for the most of any player born since 1990.
Among players with five main draws in the Open Era, Zverev (80.5 per cent) also holds the best winning percentage at Roland-Garros of any player not to have won the singles title at the event.
Ruud will stand in the way of a major final outing for Zverev, who says his battling identity has been embroiled in his mind from a young age.
"I have a coach who's my father who couldn't care less how I feel on the practice court," he added.
"Since I was three years old, it was run here, run there, run for four hours straight. He sometimes forgets I'm two metres tall and can hit a serve 230 kilometres an hour.
"I wish I would be more aggressive sometimes, but if I'm winning, I'm happy."
Kylian Mbappe put the furore over his move to Real Madrid to one side as France's "fantastic leader" dominated in Wednesday's 3-0 friendly victory over Luxembourg.
Didier Deschamps lauded the leadership qualities of star striker Mbappe, who celebrated confirmation of his switch to the Spanish capital with a goal and two assists at Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz.
Mbappe dazzled down the left flank to find space and tee up Randal Kolo Muani's first-half opener before paving the way for Jonathan Clauss' finish after the break.
The France forward was not done there, however, rounding off a fine individual performance with a late goal after an assist from former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Bradley Barcola.
Just 12 days before Les Bleus' Euro 2024 opener against Austria, France head coach Deschamps was delighted with Mbappe's resounding international return.
Deschamps told French channel TF1: "He's a fantastic leader. His head and body weren't used to playing so little. He lacked a bit of juice.
"But he got it in his head that he was going to do everything to make up for his PSG frustration. It was a good example during the week."
France have a final warm-up friendly to come against Canada on Sunday before heading to the Euros, with Netherlands and Poland also in their challenging group.
Deschamps says this dominance over Luxembourg was a positive sign, though there remains room for improvement.
"It's a good rehearsal for the work we've done," he added.
"We're not going to get excited but there are some interesting things. I'm going to correct some positioning.
"But in the offensive animation, we had a lot of variety."
Olivier Giroud also became France's oldest player in history in the victory, coming on as a second-half substitute aged 37 years and 249 days.
Alexander Zverev secured his place in the French Open semi-finals for a fourth straight year after overcoming Alex de Minaur on Wednesday.
The world number four will meet Casper Ruud, who progressed with a bye after Novak Djokovic's injury withdrawal, in the last four after a battling 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 triumph on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
De Minaur overcame Daniil Medvedev in the previous round to earn his first Roland-Garros quarter-final appearance, though it was one to forget as his serving – and Zverev's grit – proved the 11th seed's undoing.
Both players traded a break apiece during an entertaining opening in the French capital, only for De Minaur's double fault to hand Zverev the 4-3 advantage to hold his serve and take the first set.
The Australian snatched a crucial break midway through the second set, yet Zverev – who was warned with a time violation by the umpire for taking too long over his serve – saved a set point to keep his hopes alive.
That was a sign of things to come, too, as Zverev once again fought from 4-0 and 5-1 down in the tie-breaker, somehow clinching a 2-0 lead in the match from a seeming point of no return.
Having failed to level in that cruel tie-break defeat, De Minaur managed to break Zverev late in the third set but the former responded immediately to secure a hard-fought win in just under three hours.
Data Debrief: Zverev continues on song
Zverev extended to 11 straight wins after this victory, with that run including his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome two weeks prior to the start of this major.
The German is just the 11th man of the Open Era to reach four consecutive semi-finals at the French Open, where a rested Ruud awaits next.
De Minaur, meanwhile, misses out on the chance to become the first Australian man since Pat Rafter in 1997 to make the last four on Parisian clay.
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