Martial leaves Wembley on crutches after England friendly

Hours later – in another powerful moment in the pre-game ceremony – players from both teams stood side by side with their arms linked in front of photographers. It “felt like a significant and highly symbolic response to last Friday’s devastation”. “It was also, surely, one of the most poignant”.

The France team was directly affected by the attacks in Paris.

Griezmann, whose sister escaped unhurt from the Bataclan music hall where 89 people were killed by terrorists on Friday night, cried during the “Marseillaise,” sung by the whole stadium and during a minute of silence held for the 129 people who died in total.

Members of the German government including Chancellor Angela Merkel were scheduled to attend.

But France, perhaps with the occasion getting to them, started to fade.

The game finished 2-0 for England, but many commented the evening was not about the score but showing support for France. Hodgson hugged his opposite number Deschamps at the final whistle, a show of support as much as commiseration one expects.

As the rain lashed Wembley, it was clear in the build-up to kick-off that this was going to be a night of emotion, poignancy and defiance that would at times, inevitably, also be sombre. “Play, not play?” said captain Hugo Lloris on Monday in his prematch news conference. Both sets of players will wear black armbands.

Yet the match and result was essentially superfluous in the grand scheme of things other than to re-assert the French nation’s determination to bounce back from adversity. “Their players might be taking that into consideration”.

Didier Deschamps, the French coach, agreed.

“We wanted to play this match for all the people who have stayed in Paris, to pay homage and to honor the victims and their families”, Giroud said.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 17: Anthony Martial of France looks on prior to the global Friendly match between England and France at Wembley Stadium on November 17, 2015 in London, England.

There had been debate about whether the game should have been played, despite being given the go-ahead by the president of the French Football Association Noel Le Graet on Saturday. I’m sure this will get shown round the world and show the togetherness and unity in ourselves and France and in football.

Roy Hodgson believes the emergence of Dele Alli and Eric Dier shows there is an abundance of young talent in the English game. Later, supporters from both sides waved the French tricolour, a few with posters reading “Pray for Paris”.

It was followed by that gloriously unified version of “La Marseillaise” and a perfectly-observed minute’s silence, during which one French fan, draped in the Tricolore, removed his glasses to wipe away tears with the colours of his country. “Stand together for love, respect and peace”.

“We have thought a lot about our loved ones in recent days and now we will try to think about ourselves before returning to our clubs. Security in stadiums works well, the risk is more in the streets, in spontaneous gatherings”.