France advanced to the summit clash of this year’s European Championships as an Antoine Griezmann double knocked out world champions Germany in Marseille.
After Germany bossed the first half, Bastian Schweinsteiger was penalised for handball right at the stroke of half-time which led to a penalty. Griezmann sent Manuel Neuer the wrong way to give the hosts an unlikely lead. The lead was doubled midway through the second half as Griezmann pounced on a half-cleared punch by Neuer to stab home his and France’s second.
Trending
The result sends France to Saint-Denis on Sunday, where they will face off against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal at their national stadium(Stade de France) in a bid to lift the coveted Euro 2016 crown.
Here are the player ratings on a scale of 1-10 based on their individual performances in Marseille:
Germany
Manuel Neuer – 6
He made a few good saves, but he will have to take responsibility for misjudging his punch to gift Griezmann his second goal to seal France’s victory.
Joshua Kimmich - 6
He was impressive going down the flanks and hit the post late in the game. However, his error in the build-up to France’s second goal quashes all his good attributes.
Benedikt Howedes – 7
He was easily the strongest figure at the back. His last-man tackle to deny Giroud on the break outlines an impressive performance.
Jerome Boateng – 7
He looked strong and confident in defence before an unfortunate muscle pull ended his night prematurely.
Hector – 6
The fullback failed to create any good chances upfront and could not latch onto any long passes directed towards him.
Emre Can – 6.5
He started brightly, advancing upfront on numerous instances and even having an attempt at goal saved by Hugo Lloris. He petered out as the game progressed and was replaced by Mario Gotze.
Bastian Schweinsteiger – 6
He was Germany’s most industrious figure on the pitch in the first half, passing the ball around with purpose to ensure Germany were on the front-foot. But his fatal error right at the end of the first half to concede the penalty strikes him down.
Toni Kroos – 7
He was lively as usual in the attacking third, feeding long balls to the wingers and winning ground duels to rubberstamp Germany’s domination.
Mesut Ozil - 7
Germany’s puppet-master was at it once again, helping create big goal-scoring opportunities with his vision to pick out a pass. France were extremely vigilant towards Ozil’s defence cutting passes and had to pay extra attention negotiating him.
Julian Draxler – 6
The winger yet again failed to replicate his heroics against the Slovakians. He was unable to destabilize the French defenders with his quick feet and was guilty of losing the ball in important positions.
Thomas Muller – 5.5
Another Euro Cup outing, another blank for Thomas Muller. He failed to finish off good opportunities and did not work Lloris enough throughout the game.
Substitutes
Shkodran Mustafi – 6.5
He replaced the injured Boateng with half an hour to play and appeared reasonably confident against a resurgent France. He was not at fault for the hosts’ second goal and even managed to create a chance late in the game.
Mario Gotze – 6
He was thrown on for the final quarter of the game to add creativity to Germany’s midfield but was well shut down by France’s heroic defenders.
Leroy Sane – 5
Did not make any real impact for the 10 minutes he was on the pitch.
France
Hugo Lloris – 7.5
He pulled off a terrific save to parry a header late in the game. He also made a couple of crucial catches from German corners.
Bacary Sagna - 7
He was not very effective going up the field, but did his duties in defence perfectly. A plethora of clearances helped his side absorb the German pressure.
Laurent Koscielny – 8.5
It was an excellent display from the experienced centre-back, who had a definitive response to everything the Germans had to offer in the penalty area.
Samuel Umtiti – 8
He was probably inspired by his defensive partner in only his second appearance in national colours. He was unbeatable, clearing every German cross delivered in his direction with real conviction. He is definitely a prospect for the future.
Patrice Evra – 7.5
The veteran fullback was magnificent both down the wing and in defence. He marshalled Draxler very well and made a couple of crucial tackles to foil Germany’s attacking pursuits.
Paul Pogba – 7.5
He bottled his adventurous nature in midfield and realised his side’s priorities i.e. to defend the German onslaught. He was seen operating almost as a third centre-half for large periods of the game. He was selfless and this performance further lifts his credentials as a complete midfielder.
Blaise Matuidi – 6.5
The PSG man showed great temperament to sweat it out in front of defence and chase every ball in an attempt to win back possession. However, he was slightly erratic in his passing in the first half and lost most ground duels he was involved in.
Moussa Sissoko – 8
He repaid his manager’s faith in him with an exceptional work-ethic. He was an ever-present for his side – making tackles aplenty and then rushing down the pitch to create a goal-scoring chance. He is a definite contender for the man of the match.
Dimitri Payet – 6
It was a relatively quiet night for the in-form Payet, who didn’t seem suited to play a defensive role on a night when that was Deschamps’ priority.
Olivier Giroud – 6.5
No goals for Giroud this time, but he did create a couple of key opportunities in the early stages of the game owing to his effective hold-up play.
Antoine Griezmann - 9
He was the star of the evening. A composed penalty followed by a second to wrap up the victory confirms his status as a contemporary world-class forward.
Substitutes
N’Golo Kante – 7
He was sent on to shut up shop. He did his job with great discipline, like he had been doing all season with Leicester City. A few robust tackles in the closing stages was what Kante was sent on to do and that was exactly what Kante did.
Andre-Pierre Gignac - 6
The 30-year old looked lively during his 11-minute cameo, capitalising on gaps in the German half to threaten to increase France’s lead. A tame shot failed to find the target and trouble Manuel Neuer.
Yohan Cabaye – N/A
He came on in injury time.
