England Under-21s downed by France in breathless EIGHT-GOAL thriller as Hugo Ekitike & Rayan Cherki run riot in clash of talent-packed squads

Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike starred with a hat-trick and Rayan Cherki chipped in with two assists and a goal as Les Bleuets eventually edged their visitors. James McAtee broke the deadlock for the Young Lions in the second minute of the match but Quentin Merlin's quick equaliser and then Ekitike's hat-trick put the French side in control. Harvey Elliott and Liam Delap scored in between to keep England in the game, but the Liverpool star's missed penalty in the second half and then Cherki's late goal sealed the fate of the match.

Several talented youngsters were in action in the friendly clash. Ipswich's Delap led England's attack from the front with support from Elliott and McAtee. Crystal Palace sensation Adam Wharton was also included in the starting lineup and was deployed at the centre of the park. RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba, who is strongly linked with a move to Chelsea and Real Madrid, was included in the French XI.

This was Lee Carsley's first game in charge since he returned to the U21 setup after briefly managing the senior team as an interim coach last year. Incidentally, on Friday, Thomas Tuchel also made his debut as new England boss against Albania in a World Cup qualifying game.

The Three Lions will be back in action on Monday as they take on Portugal's youngsters in another friendly clash at home.