France eased into the semi-finals of Euro 2016 as a breathless first-half performance helped them clinch a 5-2 victory over a spirited Iceland side. Goals from Olivier Giroud, Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann in the first half settled the game as a contest.
However, Iceland – who could have easily capitulated to a record defeat – refused to give in and scored twice through Kolbein Sigthorsson and Birkir Bjarnason either side of Olivier Giroud’s second of the night.
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Here are the talking points of the game at the Stade de France:-
1) France absolutely breath-taking in the first half
It was as memorable first half for hosts France as it was forgettable for the Islanders. Didier Deschamps' side were nearly unstoppable, moving the ball around in midfield with some slick passing.
They penetrated the Icelandic defence time and time again. While Dimitri Payet or Blaise Matuidi provided that decisive pass, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann were constantly getting in behind the opposition defenders to open up a goal-scoring chance. Apart from five to seven minutes of decent possession from Iceland, France were dominant throughout the first half and deservedly killed the game off with a four-goal lead.
2) Iceland nearly get back into the game via a long throw
With France’s early goals and expected domination, the only way Iceland could stage a comeback was through set-pieces. They got their opening in the 20th minute – seconds after going 2-0 down – when a long throw was flicked on into the path of Jon Bodvarsson, who volleyed it over the crossbar from around 10 yards out.
The same tactic they employed to equalise against England a week ago could not fetch the desired result this time around. Had that gone in, Stade de France may well have been poised for a closer encounter than what had panned out.
3) Courageous Iceland displayed a lot of spirit in the second half
Though the result was quite expected based on the outcome of the first half, Iceland must be applauded for not throwing in the towel and giving up on mustering a comeback. They took advantage of the hosts taking the foot off the gas – committing bodies up front and putting France’s defence on their toes with dangerous looking crosses into the penalty area. They were rewarded with a goal – albeit a consolation – as Kolbein Sigthorsson turned in a low cross from Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Birkir Bjarnason got another one back in the 84th minute as he directed a free header past the reach of Hugo Lloris. They came close on a couple of other occasions but saw Lloris deny them wonderfully both times. Their desire to pour forward and reduce the deficit warrants a lot of credit, but their fate was unfortunately sealed in the opening 45 minutes.
4) France prioritise safety in the second half
With the game well and truly in the bag, it was absolutely no surprise to see Didier Deschamps play his substitution cards in the second half to take off important players who were one booking away from suspension. Olivier Giroud was the first to be wrapped in cotton wool, coming off soon after scoring his second.
His Arsenal team-mate Laurent Koscielny was the next to be taken off to be replaced by Eliaquim Mangala – who was making his first appearance in this tournament. Both players were on a tournament booking and were integral to their side’s chances against the Germans in the semi-final.
5) Will Samuel Umtiti and Moussa Sissoko retain their places?
Adil Rami and N’Golo Kante’s suspensions meant that France were forced to make two changes to their lineup – Samuel Umtiti got a chance in defence and Moussa Sissoko filled in at central midfield. Though Sissoko had a pretty decent outing, most people would expect Kante to make his way back to the starting XI against the Germans thanks to his incredible stamina and commitment.
Samuel Umtiti was a tad reckless on a couple of occasions and was a little off the mark as far as man-marking was concerned. With all respect to Iceland – Deschamps is unlikely to risk Umtiti in the semi-final against a much more daunting Germany side. Adil Rami is set to return alongside Laurent Koscielny on Thursday.
