PARIS —

World champion France fought back from a goal down to edge Germany 2-1 with a double from Antoine Griezmann in their Nations Cup match at the Stade de France Tuesday.

The 27-year-old forward canceled out Toni Kroos’ first half penalty with a fine header just past the hour and then scored with a spot-kick himself late in the game to kill off the visitors’ hopes of reaching the semifinals.

The French found themselves on the backfoot in the first half but did not lose confidence even when the Germans came close to a second goal.

“This is the difference between a team with a lot of confidence and a team like Germany which lacks some confidence and is maybe not as efficient,” France coach Didier Deschamps told reporters.

France tops the League A Group 1 standings with seven points from three games above the Netherlands on three from two and Germany with one.

The Germans, with five changes to the team that lost 3-0 away to the Netherlands Saturday, had their share of chances and overall looked sharper despite their sixth defeat of 2018.

Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry added much needed speed to Germany’s game and the overall performance offered coach Joachim Loew some respite after recent setbacks.

“We should not be disappointed tonight after such a performance,” said Loew, who has been under pressure since his side’s World Cup flop in June.

After crashing out at the group stage in the World Cup in Russia, Germany, world champion in 2014, is still looking for its first victory in UEFA’s the Nations League competition.

In Brussels, The Netherlands continued its resurgence under Ronald Koeman as youngster Arnaut Groeneveld’s first international goal secured a 1-1 friendly draw with Belgium Tuesday.

Dries Mertens fired the World Cup semifinalists into a sixth-minute lead, but Groeneveld marked his full debut for the Dutch by equalizing before the half-hour mark.

This was another strong performance for the Oranje after Saturday’s stunning 3-0 Nations League victory over Germany, while Roberto Martinez’s Belgium remains unbeaten at home since a loss to Spain in September 2016.

Denmark midfielder Lukas Lerager scored his first international goal and Martin Braithwaite added a late second late to wrap up a 2-0 win over Austria in a friendly in Midtjylland.

With playmaker Christian Eriksen still injured, Lerager slotted in on the right side of a three-man midfield for his first start in his sixth international and scored just before the half-hour, combining with Pione Sisto before firing home.

Sweden striker John Guidetti scored his first international goal in more than two years as they drew 1-1 with Slovakia in a friendly at the Friends Arena.

Playmaker Albert Rusnak rifled a shot past Kristoffer Nordfeldt from outside the area to give his side a deserved draw against Janne Andersson’s team.

In Queretaro, Mexico, Nicolas Castillo followed up his own stinging drive to score in the 89th minute and hand Chile a 1-0 win over Mexico in a thrilling friendly in Queretaro Tuesday.

A late goal from Edison Flores canceled out Joshua Sargent’s earlier strike and gave Peru a deserved 1-1 draw with the United States in Connecticut Tuesday. — Agencies