Soccer:France midfielder Samir Nasri revealed he deceived Manchester City team-mate Joe Hart in order to score his equaliser in the Euro 2012 Group D draw in Donetsk.

Nasri was crowned official Uefa man of the match after the 1-1 draw with England. It was the midfielder’s strike just before half-time that earned his side a point after another City man, Joleon Lescott, had put England ahead after 30 minutes.

“When Franck Ribery gave me the ball, the England defence was really low (sitting back),” said Nasri.

“I decided to take a shot but Joe Hart knows me from Manchester City and knows that in that situation, I normally open my foot. This time I closed it a little bit so I am happy with how it worked out.”

Although Nasri was disappointed France only collected a point, he accepts it is already a vast improvement on the debacle that unfolded in South Africa two years ago.

Laurent Blanc’s men have taken their unbeaten run to 22 games and are in good heart ahead of a meeting with co-hosts Ukraine in Donetsk on Friday.

“We are making a lot of progress,” he said. “We have come from nothing in 2010, when we made a lot of mistakes. Today we are more mature. We can do something with this group.”

Nasri played down the large ice-pack he had strapped to his knee, insisting it was “nothing serious”.

He also said England would be a far better side once Wayne Rooney has completed his two-match suspension.

“That will make a big difference,” he said. “He is a top-class player, someone who can make a difference in a big game.

“He proves that every single week for Manchester United. It will have a big impact when he comes back for the last game of the group stage.”

Nasri had been barracked by the England supporters, possibly over his big money move from Arsenal to City.

He did put a finger to his lips after his goal, although Laurent Blanc could not shed any light on the matter.

“That’s between him and his detractors,” said the France coach. “That is something personal. There are individual and personal reactions. These are things we don’t always expect.

“I think Samir was happy to score a goal and play a good game. You’d have to ask him who he was directing that to.”

Neither was Roy Hodgson in a position to respond to the midfielder apparently directing a few choice words towards the England dug-out at half-time.

“Did he? Not to me, he didn’t,” he said. “You take me by surprise. I would say the opposite: the attitude of the two teams was very good throughout. There wasn’t any aggravation on or off the field.

“Had he said a few words to me in French, I could have replied.”