Julian Nagelsmann is keen to keep in-demand defender Benjamin Pavard at Bayern Munich after he scored twice in the Bundesliga leaders' thrilling 5-3 win over Augsburg on Saturday.

Mergim Berisha opened the scoring for Augsburg early on, but Bayern surged into a 4-1 lead by the break as Joao Cancelo and Leroy Sane struck either side of Pavard's brace.

While Berisha sealed his own double after the interval and Irvin Cardona also netted late on, Alphonso Davies' goal ensured Bayern sealed a fourth successive win in relative comfort.

Last November, Pavard discussed the possibility of leaving Bayern for a new project, and with the France international's contract due to expire next year, he has been linked with Barcelona, Inter and Manchester United.

Having seen the 26-year-old mark his 150th competitive Bayern outing with his first double for the club, Nagelsmann said: "Of course I want to keep Benjamin at Bayern. 

"Playing in that position that he loves as a centre-back… he played very well today. So yes, I'd love to keep him."

Despite seeing Augsburg put to the sword in a typically ruthless Bayern performance, Nagelsmann was not impressed with some aspects of the hosts' display.  

"I'm happy with the result. It's job done today, that was important," Nagelsmann said.

"It was very similar to the game in the DFB-Pokal against Augsburg [a 5-2 win in October], it was a bit chaotic right from the start. We conceded the goal right away.

"Then we played really well for 30 minutes, everything was done well on our offensive side. In the second half, we did not have as much control or pressure any more.

"The game was a little bit too open in my opinion, we could have scored a couple more goals, but the result is above everything. 

"Not everything was perfect on the offensive or defensive side, but all in all, it's all about the three points."

Benjamin Pavard helped himself to a first-half double and Joao Cancelo scored his first Bayern Munich goal as the Bundesliga leaders beat Augsburg 5-3 in a thriller.

Mergim Berisha's early goal stirred Bayern into life at the Allianz Arena, where they were out of sight at half-time.

Cancelo equalised before Pavard struck twice in his 150th competitive game for the club and Leroy Sane made it 4-1 at the interval.

Berisha pulled one back with a penalty, but Alphonso Davies restored Bayern's three-goal advantage.

Irvin Cardona then struck in stoppage time for Augsburg, but Bayern had already done enough to move three points clear of Borussia Dortmund ahead of their rivals' Revierderby against Schalke later on Saturday.

Berisha stunned the champions by opening the scoring in the second minute, taking one touch to turn Cancelo too easily before firing home from inside the box.

Cancelo made amends by rifling into the far corner of the net with his right foot after turning Mads Pedersen inside out and Pavard put Bayern in front with a close-range volley four minutes later after Sadio Mane, making his first start since November, set him up with an overhead kick.

Pavard struck again with a spectacular finish, propelling himself up with his left foot and firing in with his right 10 minutes before the break.

Sane got in on the act on the stroke of half-time by heading into an empty net after Mane's cross had struck Maximilian Bauer and goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz before looping into his path.

Berisha reduced the deficit from the spot after Matthijs de Ligt was adjudged to have upended Cardona on the hour-mark.

Ruthless Bayern remained in command, though, and Davies finished clinically at the back post after Cancelo picked him out with a brilliant cross.

Cardona capitalised on slack Bayern defending to turn in a Ruben Vargas cross right at the end, but a thrilling contest had long since been settled.

Manchester United are reportedly setting their sights as high as possible for their Cristiano Ronaldo replacement, planning a massive bid for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

According to The Mirror, the 37-year-old Ronaldo has played his last game for the Red Devils after burning bridges with his explosive interview during the week.

Meanwhile, Mbappe is considered arguably the most valuable player in world football, racking up 169 goals in 193 games across his past five seasons with the French giants.

While there has been no indication the 23-year-old would consider United as a potential landing spot for the next stage of his career, the report claims he is their number one target.

TOP STORY – UNITED PLAN SHOCK BID FOR PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN'S MBAPPE

The Mirror claims that if United can get Ronaldo's contract off their books, they will be one of the only clubs in Europe who can afford the eye-watering contract demands of France's top star.

Sure to demand a fee north of £150million, and a contract exceeding £500,000 per week, it is a financial proposition that has caused even heavyweights such as Liverpool to declare him too expensive.

The report also states United will push forward their plans to invest at striker to January, further harming their chances of securing Mbappe as Paris Saint-Germain seek their first Champions League title.

However, it also mentions 23-year-old Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as their back-up plan, as the Nigeria international is expected to be available in the range of £60m.

ROUND-UP

- Football Italia is reporting Bayern Munich right-back Benjamin Pavard would be open to joining Milan, despite the 26-year-old being heavily linked with Manchester United.

- According to 90min, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United are all showing interest in 27-year-old Inter centre-back Milan Skriniar, who is yet to renew his contract beyond this season.

- Leicester City, Everton and Brighton and Hove Albion have Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba on their radars, per 90min.

- According to Sport, Manchester City are monitoring 33-year-old Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos with the hope that he does not renew his contract.

- Calciomercato is reporting Tottenham target Weston McKennie could leave Juventus in January.

Manchester United are reportedly setting their sights as high as possible for their Cristiano Ronaldo replacement, planning a massive bid for Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

According to The Mirror, the 37-year-old Ronaldo has played his last game for the Red Devils after burning bridges with his explosive interview during the week.

Meanwhile, Mbappe is considered arguably the most valuable player in world football, racking up 169 goals in 193 games across his past five seasons with the French giants.

While there has been no indication the 23-year-old would consider United as a potential landing spot for the next stage of his career, the report claims he is their number one target.

TOP STORY – UNITED PLAN SHOCK BID FOR PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN'S MBAPPE

The Mirror claims that if United can get Ronaldo's contract off their books, they will be one of the only clubs in Europe who can afford the eye-watering contract demands of France's top star.

Sure to demand a fee north of £150million, and a contract exceeding £500,000 per week, it is a financial proposition that has caused even heavyweights such as Liverpool to declare him too expensive.

The report also states United will push forward their plans to invest at striker to January, further harming their chances of securing Mbappe as Paris Saint-Germain seek their first Champions League title.

However, it also mentions 23-year-old Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as their back-up plan, as the Nigeria international is expected to be available in the range of £60m.

ROUND-UP

- Football Italia is reporting Bayern Munich right-back Benjamin Pavard would be open to joining Milan, despite the 26-year-old being heavily linked with Manchester United.

- According to 90min, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United are all showing interest in 27-year-old Inter centre-back Milan Skriniar, who is yet to renew his contract beyond this season.

- Leicester City, Everton and Brighton and Hove Albion have Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba on their radars, per 90min.

- According to Sport, Manchester City are monitoring 33-year-old Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos with the hope that he does not renew his contract.

- Calciomercato is reporting Tottenham target Weston McKennie could leave Juventus in January.

Barcelona are expected to be major players in the January transfer market after a busy pre-season.

The 26-time Spanish champions are top of LaLiga at the World Cup break but crashed out of the Champions League.

The Blaugrana are still battling financial challenges, while they also have some unsettled players on their books.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA PLOTTING JANUARY GUNDOGAN MOVE

Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona are planning to move for Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan in January, with fears Franck Kessie may exit soon.

The Blaugrana are eager to bolster their midfield options and a move for Bernardo Silva appears difficult despite their ongoing interest.

As a result, Barca have turned to the Germany international, whose contract with City ends in mid-2023. The report also claims the Catalans could move for Leicester City's Youri Tielemans.

Kessie has been linked with Premier League clubs Aston Villa and Fulham by Spanish media outlet Sport. The Ivorian only joined in July, but the club's financial position means they are open to letting players go.

ROUND-UP

– Despite being linked with a long list of names, Sport claims Barcelona will only make one signing in the January transfer window, with a right-back seen as a priority. Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, Bayern Munich's Benjamin Pavard and Villarreal's Juan Foyth are among their options.

– New Aston Villa heard coach Unai Emery wants to bring in Real Madrid's Eden Hazard and Nacho Fernandez, according to El Nacional. Spanish boss Emery left Villarreal for the Villans last month.

– Juventus are ready to offer a new contract to French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, claims Tuttosport. Rabiot had been linked with an off-season move, with Manchester United mentioned as a possible destination, but has impressed this term.

– La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Milan are putting together a bid for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech in January. The Moroccan winger is expected to cost less than €20million (£17.5m).

– Inter are keen on Valencia left-back Jesus Vazquez in January and a mid-2023 move for Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram, reports La Gazetta dello Sport.

France international Benjamin Pavard has hinted he could leave Bayern Munich if presented with an appealing project elsewhere.

Pavard joined Bayern from Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart in 2019 and has won three German top-flight titles during his time with the Bavarian giants, as well as lifting the Champions League trophy in 2020.

The 26-year-old has made 20 appearances for Bayern this season, starting 16 times and contributing to five clean sheets.

However, in an interview with L'Equipe, Pavard suggested he may be open to swapping the Bundesliga for a new challenge, saying: "I'm not against discovering a new project. This may be the time. 

"There have been no specific discussions. For the moment, I am focused on the World Cup.

"I have immense respect for Bayern. Here, I learnt the requirements of the very top level, and it is an honour to wear this jersey.

"Why not discover a new country, a new culture? But the sports project must be interesting. I'm not going to leave for nothing."

The wing-back played a key role as France won their second World Cup in 2018, but Les Bleus' preparations for their defence of the trophy in Qatar have been fraught with difficulties.

France narrowly avoided relegation from the top tier of the Nations League after losing three of their six fixtures in Group A1 this year, but Pavard has no concerns about the team's form ahead of the World Cup.

"I'm not worried. It is better to have difficulties before the big competition than during it," Pavard added. "We have a team with new young players who just arrived, it is normal to need time."

Bayern Munich finished their Champions League group-stage campaign with a 100 per cent record as Benjamin Pavard and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored in a 2-0 win over Inter on Tuesday.

With Bayern and Inter already guaranteed to finish first and second in Group C respectively, the hosts were the more coherent of two much-changed sides at the Allianz Arena.

Following a decent start from Inter, Pavard met Joshua Kimmich's delivery to put the hosts ahead, before Choupo-Moting added some gloss with a brilliant long-range strike after the break.

As a result, Julian Nagelsmann's men have won all six Champions League group games in consecutive seasons, finishing eight points clear of Inter to demonstrate their credentials as one of the top contenders for the European title.

Inter were controversially denied a ninth-minute penalty when Sadio Mane appeared to block Nicolo Barella's shot with both arms, then should have taken the lead when Lautaro Martinez stretched to fire over from just three yards out.

Bayern punished Inter for that miss after 32 minutes, as Pavard escaped Martinez's attentions to nod Kimmich's corner into the bottom-right corner.

Andre Onana turned Kingsley Coman's effort wide as half-time approached, before the offside flag denied the Nerazzurri when Francesco Acerbi headed a left-wing free-kick home after the restart.

Bayern exerted greater control in the second half, but saw Mane hook over from a decent position as they searched for a second goal.

The hosts had their two-goal fashion in spectacular fashion with 18 minutes remaining, as Choupo-Moting was given space to turn before crashing a right-footed strike into the top-left corner, dashing any hopes of an Inter comeback.

What does it mean? Bayern make history

Bayern's status among the favourites to win the Champions League was not exactly in doubt ahead of this campaign, but winning all six matches in a group containing Barcelona and Inter will only have strengthened other teams' hopes of avoiding them in the round of 16.

On Tuesday, Nagelsmann's men became the first side in Champions League history to win all six group games in back-to-back seasons, as well as the first club to do so on three occasions (also 2019-20, when they won the competition).  

Lethal hosts set goalscoring record

Bayern scored 18 goals across their six Group C outings, and despite Robert Lewandowski's decision to move to Barcelona in July, they retain the attacking quality to trouble any side in Europe.

Pavard's opener ensured Bayern have scored in their last 22 home matches in the Champions League, setting a new club record in the competition. 

Choupo-Moting comes up with the goods

When Lewandowski swapped Bavaria for Camp Nou, few would have expected Choupo-Moting to be among the players to fill the goalscoring breach for Bayern.

However, the 33-year-old has proved himself to be a capable deputy this season, and has now scored on each of his last five Champions League starts.

What's next?

Bayern go to Hertha Berlin for their next Bundesliga game on Saturday, while Inter visit their Derby d'Italia rivals Juventus in Serie A on Sunday.

Bayern Munich eased to a 3-0 win to compound a miserable day for Barcelona as they were eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage for a second successive season.

Inter's 4-0 win against Viktoria Plzen earlier on Wednesday had already sealed Barca's fate, which led to a sombre mood from the first whistle at Camp Nou.

First-half goals from Sadio Mane and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were followed by a Benjamin Pavard strike with the last kick of the game.

Bayern were already through from Group C but confirmed themselves as group winners ahead of Inter with this win, with Barca dropping into the Europa League.

2 - #FCBarcelona has been eliminated of UEFA Champions League #UCL group stage in back-to-back seasons, something that had not happened since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 campaings under Louis Van Gaal. Disappointment. pic.twitter.com/GkcqNp2Ncq

It took just 10 minutes for Bayern to strike after Serge Gnabry played a ball through to Mane, who outpaced Hector Bellerin before calmly dinking the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The second also came thanks to an assured pass from Gnabry as Bayern countered and Choupo-Moting was slipped in on the right of the penalty area, firing his shot through the legs of Ter Stegen just after the half-hour mark.

The hosts thought they had a penalty just before half-time when referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot after Robert Lewandowski was felled by Matthijs de Ligt, but a VAR check revealed the Dutch centre-back got a touch on the ball before any contact was made with the former Bayern man.

Gnabry had the ball in the net with a terrific left-foot finish to Ter Stegen's right 10 minutes into the second half, yet his effort was ruled out for offside.

A game that had the feeling of a dead rubber fizzled out, with Lewandowski and Co. never looking like getting back into the game before Gnabry had his third assist of the night as his volley from a corner found Pavard at the far post for a tap-in.

Joao Felix is increasingly frustrated with life at Atletico Madrid after dropping out of the starting XI in recent games.

The 22-year-old Portuguese is yet to score for the side in LaLiga or the Champions League this season and was an unused substitute in the midweek 0-0 draw with Club Brugge.

Atleti boss Diego Simeone has preferred Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata, Matheus Cunha and Angel Correa in attack recently.

TOP STORY – JOAO FELIX WANTS ATLETICO EXIT

Joao Felix has requested to leave Atletico Madrid in January, reports Fichajes.

The forward is frustrated that he has been used sparingly, largely outside the starting XI this term.

Joao Felix's contract runs until 2026 and it will likely require a hefty fee to sign him from Atleti, who paid €126 million for him in 2019.

Relevo claims that Atleti are not considering selling the Portuguese any time soon.

ROUND-UP

– ​ Frenkie de Jong is growing frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities at Barcelona and will look to exit the club in January should the situation not improve, claims SPORT. De Jong was at the centre of a drawn-out off-season saga, amid links to Manchester United.

– Granit Xhaka will earn a contract extension at Arsenal, reports Football Insider. Xhaka, who is out of contract in 2024, has been in top form this term and will be rewarded after the World Cup.

– Chelsea have an interest in RB Leipzig's Austria international midfielder Konrad Laimer, reports Bild. Laimer is out of contract at the end of this season and the Blues will look to sign him for free if he is not sold in January.

– Chelsea along with Arsenal are now also keen on pursuing Rennes winger Jeremy Doku, claims Fichajes. The 20-year-old is already being chased by Liverpool, Napoli and Juventus.

– Bild also claims Chelsea are monitoring versatile Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard.

– The Telegraph reports Thomas Tuchel is interested in the England managerial role should Gareth Southgate depart after this year's World Cup. The German has reportedly declined two Premier League jobs since leaving Chelsea last month.

Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard has opened up on how he experienced depression during the coronavirus lockdown.

The France international explained in an interview with newspaper Le Parisien that isolation became a heavy burden and he sorely missed normal social contact.

Pavard, now 26, was in his first season with Bayern when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, having joined from Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart.

When players went into isolation in late March of 2020, Pavard said it became a challenge to stay positive.

He said: "It was difficult for everyone, for me too. To be alone, in a country other than mine, I was really not well. In my head, something was wrong.

"At the beginning, you tell yourself that it's nothing, that it will pass, but when you see that it persists, that you go to training and that you don't have a smile on your face, you have to react."

The Bundesliga became the first major league in Europe to resume, as it started up again in mid-May 2020, albeit behind closed doors.

Pavard sought and found support to help him through the trying times.

He said: "I am human like everyone else, and even if I have a super nice house with a weight room, I needed contact with others.

"I got up, I had no appetite. I tried to keep busy, to cook, to watch series. But Netflix is ​​fine for two minutes… I don't like the word depressive, but that was the case."

The former Lille player explained that he turned a corner and now feels "much better".

“I came out of all this as a man, it changed me," he said. "I was on my own like many football players and I had to surround myself well to raise my head. I managed to bounce back from difficult times."

France international Benjamin Pavard might have left Bayern Munich in the last transfer window, if not for a conversation with Julian Nagelsmann.

Pavard helped France win the World Cup in 2018 and joined Bayern from fellow Bundesliga club Stuttgart a year later.

The versatile defender, who can play at centre-back or full-back, has been a regular for the Bundesliga champions and, if he is fit, is likely to be part of Didier Deschamps' France squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

Pavard has featured eight times in all competitions for Bayern this season, scoring twice, though with Bayern signing right-back Noussair Mazraoui and centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, he revealed he came close to leaving the club, and may well have done if not for Nagelsmann.

"I questioned myself, I had calls from different clubs with my agent," the 26-year-old said in an interview with Telefoot.

"Afterwards, I spoke with the Bayern coach, we have a good relationship.

"He made me understand that I was in his plans, that I was important for the team."

Pavard, however, did not close the door to a move away from Munich, with his contract expiring at the end of the season.

"Maybe one day I will go to one of these clubs, you never know what the future holds," added Pavard, who has been reported to be of interest to Premier League sides Manchester United and Chelsea.

"I still [have] a year at Bayern Munich. Afterwards, we have time to decide."

Bayern have made a poor start to the season by their standards, as they aim to win the Bundesliga for a record-extending 11th successive campaign.

Despite beating Barcelona to make it two wins from as many games in the Champions League, they lost 1-0 to Bavarian neighbours Augsburg on Saturday, a defeat that came on the back of three successive draws in the Bundesliga.

Sadio Mane scored on his Bayern Munich competitive debut as the Bundesliga champions withstood a late fightback to beat RB Leipzig 5-3 in the DFL-Supercup.

Julian Nagelsmann's side lost Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona recently, but Mane – a €41million signing from Liverpool – suggested he will not have any problems filling the void left by the Poland international.

He slid home from close range in the first half to double Bayern's advantage at the Red Bull Arena after Jamal Musiala had given the Bavarian giants an early lead.

Benjamin Pavard made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time, with Serge Gnabry adding a fourth after Marcel Halstenberg pulled one back for Leipzig. Christopher Nkunku crashed home from a penalty and Dani Olmo powered home late on as Domenico Tedesco's men rallied, before Leroy Sane hit a fifth for Bayern with the last kick of the game.

Bayern were rewarded for a bright start in the 14th minute when Musiala steered past Peter Gulacsi from 10 yards after Leipzig failed to clear a corner.

An unmarked Mane made it 2-0 in the 31st minute with a simple finish from eight yards after he had been picked out by Serge Gnabry. Bayern then appeared to put the game to bed on the stroke of half-time when Pavard slotted home from the impressive Musiala's pull-back.

Halstenberg reduced the deficit moments after Andre Silva hit the crossbar, the defender sending a looping header into Manuel Neuer's far corner.

Gnabry restored Bayern's three-goal lead in the 65th minute with a close-range strike after Gulacsi kept out Thomas Muller's initial effort. 

Nkunku scored Leipzig's second in the 77th minute with a powerful penalty after Pavard fouled Olmo, before Spain international Olmo added a third with a cool finish in the 89th minute.

Bayern had the final say, though, when Sane raced clear and slotted past Gulacsi deep into stoppage time to seal a third consecutive DFL-Supercup triumph.

Real Madrid are the latest side to enquire about the availability of 20-year-old Chelsea striker Armando Broja, but the Premier League club are maintaining that he is not for sale.

The Albania international has been the subject of significant interest after a successful loan spell at Southampton last season, netting nine goals in 38 appearances.

Chelsea reportedly turned down a £30million offer from West Ham for Broja, and although Thomas Tuchel is said to be a fan, Madrid are eager to land the youngster.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA'S RISING ALBANIAN DRAWS REAL MADRID'S INTEREST

Since Romelu Lukaku departed from Chelsea on a season-long loan to Inter, questions have been asked about what the London club's plans are to bolster their attack.

The Evening Standard's report claims Carlo Ancelotti is on the hunt for young strikers to find a potential successor to 35-year-old Karim Benzema, although with Timo Werner potentially on his way back to RB Leipzig, Chelsea may have simply decided that Broja must stay.

West Ham have also reportedly not been driven away yet and remain interested, as do Everton and Newcastle United.

ROUND-UP

– According to Bild, Bayern Munich full-back Benjamin Pavard would be willing to join Chelsea if they make a serious offer.

– The Telegraph is reporting RB Salzburg want £55m for 19-year-old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko, who is a Manchester United target, according to Manchester Evening News.

– Sky Sports Italia claims Juventus would like to acquire Barcelona forward Memphis Depay on loan, however the Catalan giants wants to make it a permanent deal.

– 90min say Everton are in advanced discussions with Chelsea to bring Ross Barkley back to the club, and they also have interest in Michy Batshuayi and Billy Gilmour.

– According to Talksport, West Ham are willing to meet the £17.5m release clause for 25-year-old Burnley winger Maxwel Cornet.

N'Golo Kante will miss the entirety of the Nations League Finals as Didier Deschamps is unwilling to take a risk with France's superstar midfielder, who has contracted coronavirus having just returned to fitness.

Kante was named in the French squad for the previous international break but missed out through injury, included only as an unused substitute against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Chelsea man has not played for his country since Euro 2020 and will not now be involved against Belgium in the Nations League semi-final, nor in either the final or third-place play-off after that.

Kante was missing from Chelsea's 1-0 defeat at Juventus on Wednesday due to testing positive for COVID-19.

France coach Deschamps acknowledges Kante would have been cleared in time for the second Nations League Finals match on October 10, but he doubts the midfielder would be in any condition to play to the best of his ability.

"It is 10 days since Monday, so you calculate," Deschamps said. "There was always the assumption that he would be there for the second game, but after 10 days without training, knowing that he was injured recently...

"I would prefer him to be there, but I also prefer him 100 per cent. Let him take advantage of this period to regain his physical freshness."

There is also no Kingsley Coman, who has been restricted to just eight minutes since the previous international break, or Thomas Lemar, as he battles a hamstring issue.

Steve Mandanda has been dropped after losing out to Pau Lopez in the Marseille goal, while Olivier Giroud's recent return for Milan is not enough for a recall – a "sporting choice", Deschamps explained, after other forwards impressed last time.

But the defence now looks a lot healthier, as Bayern Munich men Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez are able to rejoin the squad, as does team-mate Dayot Upamecano, who had to pull out last time. Deschamps listed Hernandez's brother Theo as a midfielder.

Crucially, the calf injury that kept Kylian Mbappe out of France's most recent games has subsided, meaning Deschamps must again attempt to strike a balance in attack, where Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema excelled in the Paris Saint-Germain forward's absence.

Griezmann, who has Deschamps' backing after a tricky start to his second stint at Atletico Madrid, scored twice against Finland – the first assisted by Benzema – as Les Bleus bounced back from draws with Ukraine and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"What happened is in the past," Deschamps added. "There is a title to play for. We have a semi-final to play against one of the best teams in Europe and the world, if not the best.

"We have given everything to qualify for the Finals. Now, we are there. We keep the same state of mind; we want to go for the title."

France squad:

Benoit Costil (Bordeaux), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Mike Maignan (Milan); Leo Dubois (Lyon), Lucas Digne (Everton), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Jules Kounde (Sevilla), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Manchester United); Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), Theo Hernandez (Milan), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurelien Tchouameni (Monaco), Jordan Veretout (Roma); Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen), Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain).

Robert Lewandowski's scoring streak ended and Benjamin Pavard was sent off, but Bayern Munich still cruised to a 3-1 victory over Greuther Furth in the Bundesliga.

In a Bavarian derby battle between top and bottom on Friday, Bayern were in control at half-time following goals from Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich at Sportpark Ronhof.

There was hope for Furth when France full-back Pavard was shown a straight red card early in the second half for a professional foul on Jeremy Dudziak.

The champions remained a class apart from their newly-promoted opponents despite Pavard's dismissal and a Sebastian Griesbeck own goal increased their advantage, with a late Cedric Itten header no more than a consolation for the home side.

Lewandowski was unable to match Gerd Muller's record of scoring in 16 consecutive Bundesliga games, but Julian Nagelsmann's moved three points clear at the summit.

Bayern wasted no time in stamping their authority on the game, with Leon Goretzka's early long-range drive flashing just wide.

The champions were in front in the 10th minute, when Thomas Muller finished clinically with his left foot after Maximilian Bauer could only divert Alphonso Davies's cross into his path.

Furth were unable to live with Bayern and Kimmich doubled their lead just after the half-hour mark with a measured right-footed strike from 25 yards out after Leroy Sane laid the ball back to him.

Lewandowski flicked Kimmich's corner against the crossbar as Bayern dominated, but they were a man down when Pavard was given his marching orders for upending Dudziak three minutes into the second half.

Bayern continued to pose a major threat despite their numerical disadvantage, Sascha Burchert getting down to keep out Lewandowski's first-time shot.

Nagelsmann was shown a yellow card for dissent before Kimmich's free-kick was turned into his own net by Griesbeck, under pressure from Lewandowski.

Itten nodded in Timothy Tillman's inviting cross with a couple of minutes remaining, but the points were in the bag by then for Bayern.