France avoided a major upset in their Round of 16 encounter against 10-man Ireland, as an Antoine Griezmann brace helped them clinch a 2-1 victory against Republic of Ireland in a high-intensity football encounter of the UEFA Euro 2016 at Lyon.
Ireland needed just 3 minutes to take the lead, as Robbie Brady converted a penalty which was won by Shane Long after he was fouled by Paul Pogba inside the box.
Ireland defended heroically for 55 minutes, but their resistance was finally broken when Griezmann’s header from a Bacary Sagna cross beat goalkeeper Darren Randolph at the far post. They went in front three minutes later, as Griezmann took advantage of an accurate knockdown by Olivier Giroud to confidently shoot past Randolph and break Irish hearts.
The task got tougher for Ireland in the 68th minute when defender Shane Duffy was sent off for denying Griezmann an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Though they rallied hard at the end, France hung on to seal their quarter-final berth against either England or Iceland.
Here are some of the talking points from an eye-catching game at Lyon:
#1 Should Ireland’s penalty have been given?
The drama unfolded barely seconds after kick-off when Irish forward Shane Long appeared to have been tripped by Paul Pogba in the French penalty box. Referee Nicola Rizzoli promptly pointed to the spot. The spot-kick was successfully converted by Robbie Brady to give Ireland an unexpected lead against the host nation.
However, replays seemed to suggest that Long went down too easily upon feeling contact from Pogba. It looked as if Long was looking for a challenge from Pogba and sensed his opportunity to win the penalty, which he eventually did. There will definitely be a division in opinion as to whether it was a spot-kick or not, but from the referee’s angle, one could understand why he had given it as it looked like a genuine foul by Pogba. However, replays didn’t exactly agree with that decision.
#2 Irish defenders keep their shape in the first half, but crumble in the second
One wouldn’t have to guess Ireland’s tactics following the goal – sit behind the ball and absorb all the French pressure. They did that quite clinically in the first half. They maintained their shape and discipline to frustrate the French attacking personnel. Wave after wave of French attacks and set pieces were dealt with. Darren Randolph was outstanding in goal, making a series of saves to protect that precious lead.
It was a first half of mammoth resilience displayed by the Irish team as a defensive unit. However, errors were creeping in late in the first half, which was definitely a sign of physical and mental tiredness from Martin O’Neill’s side. They failed to mark Griezmann for the equaliser and couldn’t handle a long cross towards Olivier Giroud, who knocked it down for Griezmann to smash home and give the hosts the lead. They completely lost their discipline moments later when Shane Duffy was dismissed for denying Griezmann an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
It may have ended in defeat for Ireland, but they definitely went down fighting and must take a lot of credit for giving it their all.
#3 Half-time substitution by Deschamps does the trick
France manager Didier Deschamps had to respond to going behind and he wasted no time whatsoever, hauling off defensive-midfielder N’Golo Kante (who was booked) and introducing young winger Kingsley Coman. The move worked perfectly, as Coman began stretching the Irish defence with his pace down the right flank. Coman’s introduction also allowed Antoine Griezmann to shift to a more central position alongside Olivier Giroud – a partnership which was instrumental in France’s turnaround.
#4 Antoine Griezmann delivers the goods with a brace
The French fans were desperate for their strikers to rise to the occasion and inspire their side to a comeback. Antoine Griezmann responded in style, planting a fabulous header from Bacary Sagna’s cross into the far corner to level matters. He was at it again three minutes later, when Olivier Giroud’s beautiful knockdown into the path of the Atletico Madrid forward was pounced upon and finished off confidently to send the fans into delirium.
It was a Man-of-the-Match display from Griezmann, which further added substance to the notion that the 25-year-old has all the attributes to be the leader of the French line in the years to come.
#5 With Kante and Rami suspended, who do France look up to?
France may have made it to the quarter-finals, but they will have to play it without centre-back Adil Rami and defensive-midfielder N’Golo Kante – with the duo suspended for the upcoming game due to accumulation of yellow cards. Luckily Deschamps has options on the bench – Eliaquim Mangala and youngster Samuel Umtiti are the favourites to replace Rami alongside Laurent Koscielny. However, Mangala’s inconsistency and Umtiti’s inexperience could well play a part when they face either England or Iceland in the last eight.
As far as Kante is concerned, there are reliable replacements available in his position. Yohan Cabaye of Crystal Palace has had a decent run with his club in the Premier League, while Moussa Sissoko had a solid game against Switzerland. Who will start in front of the defence in the quarter-finals? Deschamps must make a call.
