It's only a few weeks before both teams are back in action of course - but they have very different agendas. Finland will face off with Ukraine in Group D - but France turn their head towards silverware, with the 2021 Nations League Finals in Italy. Until then, thank you for joining us - and have a good week!
For France, it is the tonic for the troops needed after an otherwise frustrating September international break. Their winless hoodoo is off their back - and they are on the warpath again. Didier Deschamps won't surrender that crown easily.
That first half was the sort of performance Finland know that, if translated into a full game, will take them to a near-regular spot at major tournaments. It's not been to be today, but there are plenty of positives to take against the world champions.
Antoine Griezmann's double either side of half-time hands Les Bleus a first win since the Euro 2020 group stages - and puts them firmly atop the pile in Group D of the Qatar 2022 World Cup UEFA qualifiers after victory over their visitors. Full-time in Lyon, it finishes France 2-0 Finland.
90' + 7' FULL-TIME: FRANCE 2-0 FINLAND
90' + 5' One last French break almost unlocks the door - but Finland's defence holds firm to blast the dangerous ball away. There'll be little more in this one.
90' + 3' A highly belated confirmation from the fourth official that we will have seven minutes of added time has come through now. Can either side finish with a flourish?
A. Tchouaméni
A. Griezmann
90' + 1' It is also the final roll of the dice for Antoine Griezmann and he will not have his hat-trick. Aurelien Tchouameni takes his spot.
C. Lenglet
P. Kimpembe
90' Kimpembe is now forced off with what looks like a leg issue and France bring on Clement Lenglet to replace him.
88' Pukki thinks he should have a penalty after he is felled by Lloris following a neat release into the France box. The referee is less convinced however and Kimpembe rolls around on the floor to force a medical stoppage.
86' Hradecky may have been beaten twice today but he's still got some good moves in him, as he proves when he saves Benzema's left-footed finish on the back of an effective France move.
84' You can tell that the substitutes have got fresh legs. Mukiele puts an effort wide on debut down one end and then Raitala sees an effort blocked down the other.
82' Finland are looking to finish with a flourish but they're not doing much more than giving Lloris some light jogging practice. Their international break looks set to finish on a bum note.
J. Raitala
N. Alho
80' Jukka Raitala meanwhile replaces Nikolai Alho for Finland.
W. Ben Yedder
A. Martial
80' France do make an attacking change now, but it is Anthony Martial who departs and Wissam Ben Yedder who arrives.
79' But the Real Madrid man puts it straight into the firmly-packed Finland wall, rock-solid against his strike. They hold on against a third for now.
77' Benzema draws a chaotic foul just outside the penalty area. It's prime set-piece territory for Les Bleus...
75' Is there a final goal in this game with a quarter-hour to go? Finland have not thrown in the towel in terms of getting one themselves - but any money would be on France.
K. Kairinen
U. Nissilä
73' The visitors' fourth swap sees Kaan Kairinen replace Urho Nissila.
F. Jensen
J. Pohjanpalo
73' Fredrik Jensen replaces Joel Pohjanpalo in Finland's latest change.
P. Arajuuri
Yellow Card
72' Arajuuri picks up a yellow card now for a hasty challenge.
70' Griezmann goes close! The forward knows it too as a fine chance presents itself on a platter, only for him to slice it wide with a helping deflection.
N. Mukiele
L. Dubois
67' Leo Dubois now leaves in France's first change of the game - and it is a debut for RB Leipzig's Nordi Mukiele who replaces him.
66' Movement on the France bench suggests they too are plotting a change. Surely they are not going to replace Griezmann when he's hunting a hat-trick, are they?
T. Pukki
Yellow Card
64' Frustrations are boiling over for Finland as their levels drop, and Pukki is rewarded with a yellow card for a challenge that could be politely described as needless.
P. Soiri
J. Uronen
62' Pyry Soiri replaces Jere Uronen in a second change for the visitors.
O. Valakari
R. Schüller
62' Onni Valakari replaces Ramus Schuller in the first change of the game, as Finland look to inject some fresh legs into this match.
61' With an hour gone, France may mull the changes now. They're cooking with gas and everybody knows it.
59' Griezmann wants that hat-trick - but he won't get it like that. France blaze over under pressure and that ball lands closer to Paris than it does Lyon.
57' Finland are still only on two shots for this match, while France have reached 15. Ultimately, that onslaught has told - and it may yet have more mileage in it in terms of goals for the hosts.
55' Hernandez - recovered from his earlier knock - comes thrillingly close to setting up a third for the hosts, flashing a low ball across the six-yard area. This game feels like a done deal for France now.
L. Dubois
Assist
53' Dubois has been another troublemaker for Finland's defences today, and he nabs an assist, if not the cleanest touch in the arsenal. Didier Deschamps looks impressed.
A. Griezmann
Goal
53' GOAL! ANTOINE GRIEZMANN BAGS A DOUBLE FOR FRANCE! 2-0! There's the goal that should seal this game. Les Bleus work a counter and Dubois flutters down the right. His cross takes a deflection but still carries to the Atletico man, and he slices a finish through at the right post, across to the left side. Top-drawer stuff.
52' Rabiot forces the save! There's a fair amount of power behind it and Finland feel like they're on the rack again.
51' Dubois brings down Uronen and there's now a stoppage for the Finland man to get some treatment.
49' Dubois chops a poor shot out of play after the corner is rebounded out to the edge of the box and France miss the chance to exert further pressure early on. They're not going to retreat that easily though...
48' Hernandez takes a blow when he collides with Vaisanen and stays down. Advantage is played and France win a corner off it before medics enter to attend to him. He seems winded more than anything.
46' We're back underway in Lyon. What do both these two teams have left in the tank?
Can Finland keep the pace up? There's a chance France could well run away with this - the big boys often do in qualifiers. But there is a long way to go on the road to the final whistle.
Antoine Griezmann's lovely diagonal finish, driven across the box to beat Lukas Hradecky, is the different in Lyon - and it is Les Bleus on top in this Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier, albeit one that has swung like a madcap roundabout at parts. There's plenty to play for - it's France 1-0 Finland.
45' + 1' HALF-TIME: FRANCE 1-0 FINLAND
45' There's going to be one added minute at the end of this first half.
43' Finland's legs definitely look a little wobbly whenever the chance to craft a break presents itself. Let's hope they've not burned out yet - this has been a crackerjack contest.
41' Pogba - whose goal in that Euro 2020 tie was arguably the peak of France's otherwise dismal summer - tries for a long-range effort again, but he slips and slices it wide of the right post.
39' Benzema blocked! The Real Madrid man is causing more of a nuisance than anybody else right now and he dances his way into the box where a late slide tackle prevents him firing home.
37' If this remains as it does right now, France would move further into the lead of Group D, with a dozen points to their name. It's a commanding position they shouldn't lose out from - though others will have games in hand.
35' Now, the visitors cut their way down into French territory again, but their incursion is short-lived. The energy of Finland is starting to flag a little - have they spent too much too quickly in this contest?
33' It's nine shots to Finland's two so far, but France are only edging this one with the ball at their feet, with 55 per cent of possession so far. All it will take is for Les Bleus to stumble once at the back.
31' A looping cross allows Dubois to fire a close-range effort out for a corner through a deflection - and Hradecky gambles well to clear it with a sonic boom of a punch a moment later.
29' A deflected shot from Pogba keeps the energy levels high in this contest, and France continue to attempt to prise Finland's back-line open. This is the sort of contest September rarely serves up - enjoy it while it lasts!
27' Performances like this - even in defeat - are still vital for Finland though, as they chase this game now. They don't want to be the scrappy underdogs after Euro 2020 - and this corrects such narratives with accomplished stretches of football.
K. Benzema
Assist
25' That's why Benzema is back in this France side after such a long exodus. He brings something a little bit special up front - and even with the absence of Kylian Mbappe from their arsenal on the pitch, Les Bleus are not lacking for a spark with him there.
A. Griezmann
Goal
25' GOAL! ANTOINE GRIEZMANN BREAKS IT FOR FRANCE! 1-0! There's the deadlock smashed! The Atletico Madrid man is teed up by a delightful sidefoot from Benzema and does enough to edge around the defence before firing across Hradecky and into the bottom-right corner. Les Bleus have the advantage.
24' This really is a pendulum of an encounter. It swings for France again and Finland employ some well-timed dark arts in the box to hold off the swagger of the hosts.
23' Out of nowhere, Benzema forces a save! France break hard and fast, and down the other end, Finland can barely hold the counter off. The Real Madrid man is teed up and Hradecky makes a superb stop.
21' Finland are looking much more assured of their place in this match now. They continue pepper the final third with crosses, and France continue to repel - though with increasing discomfort to a point.
19' A corner to Finland comes after Nissila sees a speculative shot deflected. The visitors make the most of it, work it intelligently around the box and Vaisanen nudges an eventual header over.
17' Having been pressed over the rack in those exchanges, Finland are steadily growing into this one. Les Bleus match them, but the rapid force of those opening blows has subsided for now.
15' Pogba tries from long-range to no avail and then Finland display some shrewd passing to rack their possession up. France look a little more harried without the ball at their feet.
13' A brief flash of ball down the opposite end of the field gives Finland something to cheer about but the hackles are up from the home crowd. France let their foot off the pedal for a moment now.
11' Hernandez! France go the closest they've been so far through the man making his senior debut today. The AC Milan star lashes an effort from outside the box, just hooked wide of the right post.
10' There was an early corner for the visitors before this onslaught built but it feels merely academic right now. Another now allows Martial to tease himself back in; Finland clear for a fifth in a row.
8' That lone Finland spell down the other end in the opening minutes feels like a false dawn. France drive hard on the left flank again and win another corner, flashed away with fidgety nerve.
6' Greizmann swings it in from the left flank and wins a return delivery from the right corner. This one is cleared only as far as the edge of the box before Hernandez concedes a foul with a shove.
5' France play immediate havoc, and Finland are hyper-wary to not bring down Benzema as he lurks around the visitors' box. A corner is the eventual result.
R. Schüller
Yellow Card
3' An early - very early - booking comes the way of Schuller after he drags down Dubois, with the latter threatening a break down the middle.
2' Early incursions from both sides pump the tempo up. There's already a sweltering, cauldron-like atmosphere in Lyon. This could be lively.
1' We are underway in this Qatar 2022 World Cup UEFA qualifier between France and Finland!
The national anthems have been concluded and we are moments away from kick-off.
The teams are poised to emerge in Lyon, ahead of the national anthems.
While France have played more qualification games than anyone else in their group so far, this is their first encounter with Finland on the road to Qatar. As it stands, they're their nearest rivals too - a shock win for the visitors would cut the gap to one point between them.
Subs: Tim Sparv, Pyry Soiri, Fredrik Jensen, Robert Ivanov, Jesse Joronen, Carljohan Eriksson, Marcus Forss, Onni Valakari, Jukka Raitala, Robert Taylor, Joona Toivio, Kaan Kairinen.
FINLAND (5-3-2): Lukas Hradecky; Nikolai Alho, Leo Vaisanen, Paulus Arajuuri, Daniel O'Shaughnessy, Jere Uronen; Urho Nissila, Rasmus Schuller, Glen Kamara; Joel Pohjanpalo, Teemu Pukki.
Subs: Steve Mandanda, Nordi Mukiele, Aurelien Tchouameni, Moussa Diaby, Clement Lenglet, Matteo Guendouzi, Jordan Veretout, Mike Maignan, Wissam Ben Yedder, Thomas Lemar, Lucas Digne.
FRANCE (3-4-3): Hugo Lloris; Kurt Zouma, Raphael Varane, Presnel Kimpembe; Leo Dubois, Paul Pogba, Adrien Rabiot, Theo Hernandez; Anthony Martial, Antoine Griezmann, Karim Benzema.
Finland conversely start less than a handful of players who ply their trade in Europe's top five leagues - but in Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, they do have a man who could make life difficult for their hosts today in Lyon.
On paper, it's no contest when it comes to quality. While the red card handed out to Jules Kounde against Bosnia means he is absent, it is still a formidable side fielded by Les Bleus, led by Antoine Griezmann up front as the striker begins his second life with Atletico Madrid.
Even if they remain top of the pile, the fact they have not won a game since their first match of this summer's tournament will give Markku Kanerva hopes of an upset. His side are in the frame to cause some problems here if they pull off an upset - but it will be a fantastic result if they do.
It's become a common occurrence for the incumbent World Cup holder to slip out early in their subsequent tournament - and Didier Deschamps will surely have his concerns here too. After a lacklustre Euro 2020, his side have won just two of their five Group D games so far. Are alarm bells ringing?
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the September international break as defending champions France host Finland in a Qatar 2022 World Cup UEFA qualifier, Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
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