France 2-0 Albania: Substitute Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet snatch late victory for Didier Deschamps' hosts in Marseille
- France made it two Euro 2016 wins from two against Albania in Marseille on Wednesday night in Group A
- Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba were dropped in favour of Anthony Martial and Kingsley Coman
- Pogba came on for Martial at half time at the Stade Velodrome and Griezmann replaced Coman in the 68th minute
- Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud hit the post for Didier Deschamps' hosts in a nervous tie for French fans
- Atletico Madrid's Griezmann headed in a 90th minute goal to help secure the victory for the hosts
- West Ham United playmaker Dimitri Payet rounded things off in style with a whipped finish into the corner
There used to be a football saying about never changing a winning team. It is tempting to wonder what happened to it.
For this game at Stade Velodrome France coach Didier Deschamps chose to leave out two of the players who had contributed to his team’s opening win against Romania. The omission of Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann had been well-trailed in the French media but it was still a surprise in its own way.
What is clear is that it didn’t work. France were dreadful before half-time, failing to manage a single shot on target in front of an imploring local crowd.
France substitute Antoine Griezmann celebrates after scoring in the 90th minute against Albania on Wednesday evening
Atletico Madrid maestro Griezmann scores the opening goal during the European Championship tie to send French fans wild
West Ham United star Dimitri Payet rounded things off in style with a whipped finish into the corner of the Albanian net
Saint-Pierre-born Payet kicked the corner flag with both feet in celebration after yet another goalscoring display for his country
Olivier Giroud looks up to the heavens after a missed chance for France against Albania at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille
Giroud leaps highest to head against the post in one of several agonising moments for the French supporters on Wednesday night
So after the interval on came Pogba and France improved. They would have scored sooner had Olivier Giroud been a better player than he is.
Then, much later, Griezmann came on to head the winner in the 90th minute and Deschamps celebrated as though he has just pulled off the greatest managerial masterstroke of all time.
He hadn’t, though. Not at all. He had just got lucky. Very lucky.
There was still time for another French masterpiece from Dimitri Payet. He was the best player last night and is the stand-out player of the tournament so far. His injury time goal was beautifully and magnificently taken, both thrashed and placed in to the far corner with that wand of a right foot.
But even that should not shield Deschamps from the truth. The French coach tried to be smart here and almost got stung. It will be interesting to see if he does it again.
France, however, go through. They are first through the door of their very own party and they will be very satisfied. This was a frustrating night for them, one that exposed us again to their weaknesses as well as their strengths, but ultimately one that will do them no harm.
Teams that win games late tend to make a habit of it. Not only do they begin to expect it to happen but the opposition begin to expect it also. That is what it will be like for France now as they move through this competition.
Once, against Romania on day one, can be dismissed as a co-incidence. Twice can be viewed as the beginning of a happy pattern. By the last ten minutes of this game, Albania, willing as they were, were succumbing to cramp. A slightly imperfect playing surface will not have helped but they began to fall at France’s feet because France had run them in to the ground.
Certainly players like Payet and Leicester’s N’Golo Kante have brought their Premier League form to this tournament. It is just a shame for France that Giroud has too.
Poyet was excellent once more and his West Ham manager Slaven Bilic will start to watch this tournament from behind his hands. Big performances in big tournaments tend to get players sold.
Kingsley Coman (No 20) goes up for a header as Paul Pogba (No 15) - who replaced Anthony Martial at half time - lies on the floor
Arsenal striker Giroud - wearing his multicoloured Puma evoSPEED boots - momentarily lost one shoe in the first half
Midfielder Blaise Matuidi (left) tries to beat Albania's Burim Kukeli (centre) with France team-mate Coman in support (right)
Manchester City right back Bacary Sagna (No 19) clears while under pressure from Albania's French-based No 3, Ermir Lenjani
Hammers playmaker Dimitri Payet (right) drives forward for France with Andi Lila (No 2) in hot pursuit for Albania
Even during a first period that saw France trip over their lines, Payet was dangerous. His dead ball play immaculate and he is picking passes perfectly.
Twice in the first period Anthony Martial could have scored. Once the pass came from Blaise Matuidi and once it came from Payet who also gave Giroud a chance that, predictably, he headed over.
Worse was to come for Giroud. The Arsenal centre forward headed once against the post as time threatened to run out in the second half and that was a decent effort.
Just before that, though, the 29-year-old had headed a Kingsley Coman cross wide when he really could have scored with his eyes shut. Typical.
That came at a time of intense French pressure and they were definitely much better in the second half.
With the disappointing Martial replaced by Pogba, France changed formation and they improved almost beyond recognition as they began to play with real energy, purpose and incisiveness.
Sensing a shift in mood, this big crowd responded in kind and they willed France on. The home team did have a scare when Bacaray Sagna nudged a cross against his own post under pressure but after that France merely moved forwards in a big blue wave.
France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (left) claims the ball from a cross while under pressure from Albania's No 10 Armando Sadiku
Manchester United and France forward Martial (No 11, right) looks focused as he runs with the ball during the first period
A bizarre moment occurred in the first half as 29-year-old Giroud's shorts came down to bear his cycling shorts/undergarments
Juventus' former United left back Patrice Evra (right) holds off the challenge of Lila to win the ball back for his country
Coman, just 20, threw his head bravely at once chance only to see it go wide, Payet drifted a free-kick across goal while Kante saw a low shot deflected wide and Pogba charged in at the far post to drill a Payet cross – sumptuously delivered with the outside of his right foot – over the bar on the half volley.
Over the piece France were the better team by a distance, even if it took some rejigging to get things right.
Griezmann’s goal looked straight forward but he took it calmly, directing Andi Rami’s cross from the right across the goalkeeper with a deft and careful touch.
Payet, meanwhile, painted an altogether different picture. His intentions were easy enough to read as he drove in to the penalty area but trying to stop him in this mood is not easy and his right foot shot was a perfect mixture of grace and thunderous power.
It was an uplifting ending to a peculiar night and it ensured that this game finished among better scenes than the last one to be played here.
Will Deschamps learn his selection lesson? He will argue that he deserves some time to think that one over and, with two wins from two, he may well be right.
Lenjani (second right) - of Nantes, on loan from Rennes - hits a speculative shot with his left foot at the Stade Velodrome
Paris Saint-Germain star Blaise Matuidi (second left) protests a decision given against him by Scottish referee, Willie Collum
France hitman Giroud is marshalled by Cologne defender Mergim Mavraj (right) during the Group A fixture in Marseille
Albania and France's players line up for a minute of applause before the match for the murdered French husband and wife police officials
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