French masters of the great escape
Hosts become first nation to reach knockout round — but it wasn’t easy
MARSEILLE, FRANCE— Late goals from Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet helped France become the first team to advance to the knockout stage of the European Championship with a 2-0 win over Albania on Wednesday.
For the second consecutive match, late pressure rescued a patchy French side that is struggling to live up to its pre-tournament billing as one of the favourites.
Against Romania on Friday, Payet’s superb strike from distance won it for the host nation. This time — with the clock running down — substitute Griezmann placed himself perfectly to nod in a cross from centre half Adil Rami.
“This is becoming a habit,” French coach Didier Deschamps said. “I would prefer us to break the deadlock a little earlier.”
French President Francois Hollande jumped out of his seat and thrust his arms in the air when Griezmann scored, and the Stade Velodrome crowd rose as one to hail Payet after another outstanding finish a few minutes later.
With grace and poise reminiscent of France great Zinedine Zidane, Payet cut in from the left and beat two players before firing in the second goal.
Payet, as modest off the field as he is electric on it, deflected the praise, saying “once again the substitutes did well tonight. It was a special feeling.”
But without doubt he was France’s creative force and is fast forging a reputation as both a supplier of chances and a finisher of lethal quality.
“He’s always had ability,” Deschamps said. “He’s got a lot of confidence.”
It was cruel on Albania, which nearly took the lead early in the second half when right back Elseid Hysaj drove in a powerful cross that France defender Bacary Sagna turned onto the post while under pressure from midfielder Ledian Memushaj. The ball flicked back off the post onto Memushaj’s head and rolled wide.
It was a reprieve for a complacent French side that was jeered off the field at halftime, doubtless hoping for an easy ride against a team most observers had written off as defen- sive workhorses.
Confounding that generalization about weaker sides, Albania clearly came to play and made France sweat — especially left back Patrice Evra, tormented all night by Hysaj.
“We didn’t just defend,” Albania coach Giovanni De Biasi said. “We had good chances.”
Midway through the first half, Hysaj got forward and his deflected cross eluded the outstretched boot of Armando Sadiku.
Just like against Romania, when he also set up Olivier Giroud’s opening goal, Payet provided France’s forward momentum and his goal bore a fitting resemblance to Zidane’s goal against Spain in the round of 16 in their 2006 World Cup match.
At 29 years old, Payet has been a revelation in international football, galvanized by a successful season for Premier League side West Ham, where he scored several highlightreel free kicks. His dangerous passes and crosses deserved far better finishing — with Giroud heading over early on and winger Anthony Martial fluffing his ch