The Lyon striker was thrown on for the second half and took just eight minutes to make his mark, guiding home fellow debutant Samir Nasri's right-wing free-kick at the near post.

A youthful-looking Les Bleus team, showing seven changes from the side that defeated Lithuania 1-0 in a Euro 2008 qualifier at the weekend, had numerous chances to extend their lead, but they had to settle for just the one goal.

Austria, the co-hosts of next year's Euros, came into the game boasting an unbeaten run of four matches, but they were poor and barely created an opportunity of note.

France coach Raymond Domenech opted to go with a very inexperienced foursome in midfield, and the young guns really took it to Austria in the first half.

Rio Mavuba, at 23 the oldest member of the quartet, looked solid in the anchorman role, while the superb Lassana Diarra and Alou Diaby kept possession well.

It was 19-year-old Marseille playmaker Nasri who really shone early on, and it was from his corner that Julien Escude headed wide in the fourth minute.

Nasri's ambitious overhead kick, following a right-wing cross from right-back Francois Clerc, then drifted just wide, while Diaby and Diarra had long-range shots saved by Jurgen Macho.

In the 20th minute, Djibril Cisse, recalled up front to start alongside Nicolas Anelka, thrashed a cross from his strike partner just wide.

Austria's only chance in the opening period came in the 10th minute, but captain Andreas Ivanschitz's effort from the right went by Gregory Coupet's far post.

Benzema, 19, replaced the ineffective Cisse at half-time, making him only the fourth teenager to have played for France in the last 20 years.

And he delivered the goods almost immediately, running onto a clever cut-back free-kick from the right from Nasri and directing a low shot in at Macho's near post.

Anelka, who scored the winner against Lithuania in a man-of-the-match performance on Saturday, was a handful again here, and he almost made it 2-0 when his powerful shot from the right just cleared the bar.

Monaco striker Frederic Piquionne came on in the 77th minute for his debut, but he was not really given enough chance to shine.

Austria hardly posed a threat, meaning the central-defensive partnership of captain Lilian Thuram and Philippe Mexes had a relatively trouble-free night.