Patrika Stollarz/AFPFrench fans wait for the start of the Euro 2016 semi-final football match between Germany and France at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille on 7 July, 2016.
Advertisement
Griezmann’s six goals at a single European Championship is bettered only by countryman Michel Platini’s nine-goal haul at Euro 1984, while the 25-year-old has now scored as many goals for France at the Euros as Thierry Henry (six).
“France has earned the right to be in the final and I think that the French will win against Portugal”, said Germany coach Joachim Loew. It’s a very good result and a huge performance from the team. “It’s fabulous to be in the final”.
“It was an emotional night, we will enjoy it and then focus on Portugal”, Giroud said afterwards. “We have to keep our feet on the ground”. In 2010 or 2012 when we went out, the sides who beat us were better than us. “There is now a title to play for against Portugal”, he added.
The midfielder – who has now made 20 World Cup and 18 European Championship appearances – overtook his former Germany teammate Miroslav Klose, who had played in 37 games at major tournaments.
Griezmann slammed home a first-half penalty, following a needless handball from Bastian Schweinsteiger, and then poked in the second after the break to secure the host nation’s first competitive win over Germany in 58 years. “I wanted to take a penalty again in an important moment and I’m happy I did, and happy I scored”, he said. I don’t know if it was a penalty. Jerome Boateng blocked the ball with an arm above his head in the quarterfinal against Italy.
“If you had it in your own hands it hurts even more”.
Trailing in a match for the first time in the tournament, Germany could not recover their previous dominance after halftime. A skillful display by Pogba who made a cross into the area was fumbled by the German goalkeeper unto the path of Griezmann who tapped it in to seal the game for the hosts.
Germany responded well and could have pulled one back when Kimmich hit the post, before Julian Draxler sent a free-kick narrowly wide and Hoewedes headed over.
“Nevertheless, we still had the chance to bounce back but simply couldn’t score. It was a long time since we’d beaten Germany but that didn’t mean anything today”, he told reporters after the match.
Loew refused to say whether he would extend his time as Germany’s manager beyond the campaign for the 2018 World Cup in Russian Federation.
Advertisement
“There should be nothing above the French shirt for the players; perhaps that’s not always been the case but they’re now very aware of what they can give to people when they’re wearing this shirt for”.
