France leave it late to break Albanian hearts in Marseille

France 2 Albania 0

France are going through the emotional wringer in this Euro but as far as the results are concerned, they are purely elated. After another stuttering, stumbling performance that looked set for frustration, Antoine Griezmann played the role that reduced Dimitri Payet to tears by snatching delerious victory from the jaws of a disappointing draw by breaking the deadlock in the 90th minute. Not to be outdone, the little wizard from West Ham triggered an outpouring of joy with a virtuoso goal in stoppage time.

Having finally broken Albania’s remarkable resistence, France become the first team to qualify for the knock out stage thanks to two theatrically late wins.

The stadium crackled with nervous energy, the highly-tuned expectancy of the French coursing in one direction, eurphoric delight brimming out of the Albanians, who even before the game had been dancing and tooting car horns outside the Rond-Point du Prado, the roundabout adjacent to the superstructure of Marseille’s modernised amphitheatre.

Didier Deschamps had urged his team to play with more tempo and tidiness after Dimitri Payet’s theatrical intervention helped them to overcome the stifling Romanians in the first game. Still, it was a bold call to tinker so radically with his front line, especially in withdrawing two of the team’s status symbols in Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba. The high-speed verve of Anthony Martial and Kinglsey Coman, their youngest and least experienced attacking players, was unleashed. It was not, though, a quick fix.

Those expecting an instant lift had not factored in the strong Italian influence Giovanni De Biasi holds over the Albanians. They were resolute, organised, sharp in the tackle, and keen to cover one another defensively as France probed.

Martial saw a lot of the ball in little bursts as much of the traffic was directed down Albania’s right flank. Coman less so. It was typical of the opening exchanges when Martial took Payet’s pass in his stride only for Arlind Ajeti to appear suddenly and decisively to snatch the chance away.

The initial excitment mutated into tension as France’s positive intentions began to break down. Part of the thinking of changing system was to give a more pivotal, central-creative role to Payet. He prompted intelligently, but a click in the restructured team did not happen naturally.

Albania sensed they could do some damage. There was a warning when Elseid Hysaj’s cross ricocheted off Martial and Hugo Lloris needed to be alert to nip in ahead of Armando Sadiku. Then Ermir Lanjani, making inroads with his persistence on the left flank, saw a shot deflect off Patrice Evra.

Shortly before half-time Evra was lucky not to be penalised when a high foot caught Andi Lila at head height. Ledian Memushaj’s free kick skimmed the roof of the net. In the dugout, Deschamps bit his nails. Yet again, France went in for their team-talk with much to discuss after an inhibited performance. Other than checking the flight of a couple of Olivier Giroud headers as they drifted over, Etrit Berisha had not been a busy goalkeeper.

The solution? Deschamps tried to flick the switch with the introduction of Pogba for Martial. France reverted to their plan A in a 4-3-3 formation and revved up to start again. They almost scored immediately as Giroud’s cross bounced off Blaise Matuidi’s shoulder and Coman headed goalwards. Close.

But not half as close as Bacary Sagna, who was a fraction away from scoring an own goal past Lloris as he tangled to try to challenge Memushaj. The sound of around 60,000 sharp intakes of breath accompanied the sight of the ball bouncing back off a post. Back came France, with Pogba arriving unmarked to meet Payet’s delightful cross only to plant his rising shot too high. The next chances fell to Giroud, who skewed a header wide before thumping another against a post. The Marseille crowd called for one of their old favourites, André-Pierre Gignac.

The striker, formerly of Marseille who now plays his football in Mexico, came on to a raucous welcome. France continued to try to press for chances but clean, clear-cut sights of goal were hard to come by. One half chance fell to Sagna, whose shot swerved wide. Another to N’Golo Kante, whose low drive took a deflection. The French support could not believe it when Pogba slipped as he shaped to shoot. Just as it seemed the opportunities had knocked and nobody had answered, Griezmann transformed everything.

(Guardian service)