France vs Albania a few quick thoughts
Dan Tracey
June 16, 2016
1,453 Views
- France are the first side to qualify for the Round of 16 after beating Albania
- But they left it late again in which to do so
- Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba were subbed off for Anthony Martial and Kingsley Coman against Romania on Friday and it was arguably those substitutions that won the game against Romania
- Didier Deschamps decided to bring in Martial and Coman in from the start this time around
- That choice certainly raised some eyebrows and it’s fair to say the decision didn’t have the desired effect
- Martial only lasted 45 minutes while Coman lasted 68
- But regardless of the personnel they couldn’t break down a spirited Albania defence
- And it was Albania who were nearest to scoring after Ledian Memushaj hit the woodwork after meeting an inch perfect right wing cross
- France had countless opportunities but couldn’t seem to breach the Albanian backline
- Dimitri Payet, Paul Pogba and Oliver Giroud were quility of missing chances
- While Giroud’s replacement Pierre-Alan Gignac didn’t fare much better
- The longer the game went on the more frustrated the French became
- But also it meant Albania were being forced deeper and deeper to try and defend everything that France threw at them
- There was near heroic defended from this near Albanian side
- But there resolve was to be cruelly broken as once again France bagged themselves what would prove to be an 89th minute winner
- Didier Deschamps was ordering his side to pile forward and it was Adil Rami of all people who put a speculative cross into the box
- He managed to find Antoine Griezmann unmarked and the Atletico Madrid Forward glanced his header into the net to put France ahead and break Albanian hearts
- You could see at that point the relief for France but also the despair for Albania
- Everything they had given over those 89 minutes was in vein
- Once again it shows how cruel Football can be
- But it would prove even more cruel when Dimitri Payet would cut through a weary Albanian defence to make it 2-0 in the 6th minute of added time
- A second win for France and their place in the Round of 16 secured
- But this win will have only papered over their cracks
- Is the pressure of hosts getting to them?
- Will that eventually prove to be their undoing
- Does Didier Deschamps know his best eleven, you would imagine Griezmann has done enough to warrant a start in the next game
- That game will be against Switzerland where a point will be enough to secure top spot in Group A
- While for Albania, they know that nothing less than a win will mean they are out and even that may not be good enough to see them qualify as one of the four best 3rd place sides.
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