France rallies late to defeat Albania and advance at Euro 2016
Dimitri Payet scored yet another impressive goal as France left it late once again, overcoming a spirited Albania, 2-0, to become the first team to advance to the knockout stages of the European Championship on Wednesday.
It’s becoming quite a theme: early nerves, laborious first halves, chances spurned and rising star Payet popping up with a spectacular late goal.
“It’s true that I managed to make the difference again,” Payet said. “Things went well again for me tonight.”
This time, his strike deep into injury time did not win the game like his last-minute goal in Friday’s 2-1 win against Romania did as forward Antoine Griezmann had already headed his team ahead in the 90th.
“I would prefer us to break the deadlock a little earlier,” France Coach Didier Deschamps said.
Leaving it late is not ideal — certainly not for frayed French nerves, including those of French President Francois Hollande, who jumped out of his seat and thrust his arms in the air when Griezmann scored. And the Stade Velodrome rose as one to hail Payet after another outstanding finish a few minutes later.
With grace and poise reminiscent of France great Zinedine Zidane, Payet cut in from the left and beat two players before firing in the second goal.
He was France’s creative force and is fast forging a reputation as both a supplier of chances and a finisher of lethal quality.
“He’s always had ability,” Deschamps said. “He’s got a lot of confidence.”
It was cruel on Albania, which nearly took the lead early in the second half when right back Elseid Hysaj drove in a powerful cross that France defender Bacary Sagna turned onto the post while under pressure from midfielder Ledian Memushaj. The ball flicked back off the post onto Memushaj’s head and rolled wide.
France meets Switzerland in its last Group A match in Lille on Sunday, when the Swiss are hoping to qualify for the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time.
Switzerland closed in on the round of 16 on Wednesday, rallying for a 1-1 draw with Romania at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Bogdan Stancu put Romania ahead in the 18th minute with a penalty — his second at Euro 2016 — after Switzerland captain Stephan Lichtsteiner pulled an opponent’s shirt.
Admir Mehmedi equalized in the 57th with a powerful left-foot shot to give the Swiss have four points after two games.
All four teams in Group A can still qualify as the new 24-team format means the third-place teams in the six groups have a chance to reach the round of 16. Romania, which has one point, meets Albania, which has zero, also on Sunday in Lyon.
In the only Group B match played Wednesday, Slovakia beat Russia 2-1 in Lille. The victory owed much to midfielders Marek Hamsik and Vladimir Weiss, who combined for both of their teams goals.
Slovakia withstood sustained Russian pressure in the second half. But it was only in the 80th minute that Russia got one back with Denis Glushakov’s headed goal.
Both teams still have a chance to progress — Slovakia, which has three points from its two games, faces England in its final group game on Monday, while Russia, with one point, takes on Wales in Toulouse.
England and Wales meet on Thursday in Lens, which is only 30 kilometers (around 20 miles) from Lille. The proximity of the two cities and the arrival of thousands of English fans in the city where Russia played its second game stoked concerns of a repeat of the violence that marred last Saturday’s match between England and Russia in Marseille.
