Dimitri Payet left the field in tears of joy after scoring the sensational last-gasp goal in France’s 2-1 win over Romania to launch their European Championship campaign in style on Friday.
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But with the clock winding down, West Ham star Payet – France’s outstanding player on the night – curled in a brilliant left-footed effort from 25 yards to seal all three points.
“This Romania team isn’t easy to play, we knew that, even if we were able to score the opening goal”, said France coach Didier Deschamps.
Payet was himself surprised at the wonder goal he struck with just minutes to go in the game.
“If someone had told me that it was going to be like that tonight I don’t think I would have believed it”, he said after the game.
Despite playing reasonably well and scoring his first goal for France in a 4-3 defeat by Belgium in June 2015, the 29-year-old was dropped from subsequent squads. “By keeping Dimitri Payet in the heart of the midfield, we had to take off a midfielder”.
“We came up against a side who played very well”, he said.
Patrice Evra clumsily and carelessly brought down Nicolae Stanciu in the area in the 65th minute, and from the resultant penalty, Stancu calmly finished beyond Lloris and into the bottom right to secure his first competitive worldwide goal since October 2014.
Those two Romanian fans must have been hugely encouraged by the start Anghel Iordanescu’s team made as forward Nicolae Stanciu’s shot drew a wonderful save from French captain Hugo Lloris in the opening minutes. We have to continue because the other matches will not be easy.
He was behind all of Les Bleus’ best moments and looked like the only player capable of opening up Romania.
Payet was one of the best players in the Premier League this past season, and it seems that he has simply carried that form into the European Championship in his home country of France.
“It is true that it prevented us finding ourselves in a losing situation straight away, especially as that was a tough spell for us and we did not start the game as we wanted to”.
“This is the real Dimitri, the Dimi we love”.
“Dmitri can make the difference”, added Deschamps.
“We mourn those who died, but you won’t stop us from going to football matches or concert halls”.
The Leicester City midfielder has proved a sensational signing for the Foxes and on the evidence of Friday’s game, the 25-year-old will have little problem reproducing that Premier League winning form on the worldwide stage having forced his way into the starting line-up courtesy of several more impressive displays in the build up to the tournament.
The final act of the half saw Giroud spurn a golden opportunity from a corner.
That victory secures France three points and, given the generous qualifying route out of the group phase, puts them well on course for the knockout phase.
There’s so much passion and fervour behind the French national side and the players are aware of that.
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If Les Bleus can dispose of Albania, then the pressure will be off for arguably the biggest Group A clash-Switzerland at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.
