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Giroud plays 12 minutes of France win

Olivier Giroud played the final 12 minutes as France cruised to a 3-0 win against 10-man Honduras in Porto Alegre.

Les Bleus dominated from the first whistle and squandered a number chances to take the lead in the first half. Blaise Matuidi had a shot expertly tipped over by Noel Valladres and Antoine Griezmann rattled the crossbar with a header.

But on the stroke of half-time, they made a deserved breakthrough. Paul Pogba was tugged by Wilson Palacios inside the box, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot and give the former Tottenham midfielder his marching orders. Karim Benzema calmly dispatched the penalty.

Three minutes into the second half, France put the game beyond Honduras when Benzema's volley rebounded off the post before rolling across the line and bouncing off Valladres and in.

The Honduras goalkeeper tried to scramble the ball away but goalline technology ruled the ball had crossed the line despite vociferous protests.

Benzema slammed home his second and France's third with 18 minutes remaining to cap an emphatic victory for Didier Deschamps's side.