France U20 fight back to beat Ecuador 3-2 at Women’s U20 World Cup

France U20 produced a second-half comeback to defeat Ecuador 3-2 on Wednesday and claim three points in the second round of Group C at the Women’s U20 World Cup.

The French side went into half-time 2-1 behind but recovered after the interval, scoring twice to overturn the deficit and secure victory. The result takes France’s total to four points in Group C.

Ecuador made the stronger start and took the lead after 10 minutes through Dariana Moran. France responded in the 21st minute when Justine Rouquet converted a penalty to bring the teams level at 1-1.

The momentum then shifted back towards Ecuador before the break. Fiorella Pico restored the Ecuadorians’ advantage from another penalty in the 41st minute, leaving France facing a one-goal deficit at half-time.

France quickly levelled again after the restart. Aude Bizet struck in the 48th minute to make it 2-2 and give the Bleuettes renewed hope of completing the comeback.

The match remained level for much of the second half, with both teams appearing to be heading towards a share of the points. France, however, found a late winner when Landryna Lushimba Bilombi scored in the 87th minute to complete the turnaround and make it 3-2.

The victory gives France four points from their opening two Group C matches. After being twice forced to come from behind, the French team held on to claim the win in a closely contested encounter.

France’s next match will be against Ghana. Ghana go into that meeting after beating South Korea 3-1, setting up the next fixture in the group.