OL's Memphis Depay scored twice for the Netherlands in Euro 2020 qualifying on Thursday, while AS Monaco's Islam Slimani drew closer to Tasfaout's all-time scoring record for Algeria as he bagged his 30th goal for his country.
Several Conforama Ligue 1 players have been in fine form for their respective national teams during the international break. First, Olympique Lyonnais' Memphis Depay hit a brace against Northern Ireland to drag the Netherlands out of a tough spot. A goal down with just 15 minutes to go, the Oranje were saved by the Lyon man, who equalised before adding his side's third as they pulled away in stoppage time (3-1). The Netherlands' top scorer in these qualifying matches (six goals), Depay became the first Dutchman to be involved in 14 goals with his team in the same calendar year since the turn of the millennium (six goals and eight assists).
Slimani breathing down Tasfaout's neck
Algeria's only goalscorer in a friendly against the Democratic Republic of Congo (1-1), Islam Slimani scored his 30th international goal on Thursday. With an excellent start to the season (four goals and six assists in six Ligue 1 Conforama matches), the AS Monaco striker is only six goals behind Algeria's all-time leading scorer Abdelhafid Tasfaout, who also plied his trade in France's top flight (AJ Auxerre and EA Guingamp).
Slimani's clubmate Aleksandr Golovin was also decisive and played an important part in Russia's victory over Scotland (4-0). The Monegasque scored a goal and laid on two more for his team-mates in this Euro 2020 Group I qualifier.
Ligue 1 Conforama flavour for Brazil-Senegal
Played in Singapore, the friendly between Brazil and Senegal featured no fewer than nine Ligue 1 Conforama players. For the Seleçao side, PSG's central defensive pairing of Thiago Silva and Marquinhos held sway, the former turning in a strong performance and the latter conceding the penalty that allowed Senegal to equalise (1-1). On the left wing, Neymar proved somewhat un inspired as he earned his 100th cap for Brazil. For the Lions of La Teranga, Alfred Gomis (Dijon FCO), Racine Coly (OGC Nice), Sidy Sarr (Nîmes Olympique), Sada Thioub (Angers SCO), Idrissa Gueye (PSG) and Habib Diallo (FC Metz) all put in solid shifts.
In other action, PSG's Leandro Paredes played 90 minutes in Argentina's draw against Germany (2-2) in Dortmund, while Keylor Navas did well with Costa Rica but could not prevent the draw against Haiti (1-1) in the CONCACAF League of Nations.
Seventeen days out from the Classique, Olympique de Marseille's right-back Hiroki Sakai turned out for Japan as the Samurai Blues hammered Mongolia 6-0 in 2022 World Cup qualifying action. He played 58 minutes before being subbed off.
