Giroud, who has scored 18 goals for France, is the team’s most prolific striker since Didiers Deschamps took over as coach in 2012.
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Frances good possession play throughout the first half and in to the second period of the game was due to the as always, excellence of N’Golo Kante who was able to spot out any danger from the opposition, win the ball back and set his team on an attack.
He provided the assist for Oliver Giroud and a spectacular goal which erupted the Stade de France.
Payet had already struck a last-gasp victor with a stunning free kick in France’s 3-2 victory against Cameroon on May 30 and it helps having somebody in the team who can use both feet to whip a game changer. Didier Deschamps’ team seemed to be heading for a gloomy draw but a moment of magic from talismanic Payet left the home fans celebrating a memorable win on a serene Paris evening to get the finals off to a fine start. France’s shaky defence failed to clear their lines and Stancu was chopped down by Evra as he stormed into the box. Bogdan Stancu calmly converted the penalty to tie the game up at 1-1. Deschamps reacted immediately to the equaliser by withdrawing Griezmann for Bayern Munich’s pacy winger Kingsley Coman. Jumping to meet a cross from attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet, he appeared to make slight contact with goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu’s arm as he leapt.
Others who attended the opening match were Isabelle Matuidi, the partner of Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi, Sidonie Biemont, the partner of defender Adil Rami, and unused substitutes Morgan Schneiderlin and Lucas Digne wife and partner Camille Sold and Tiziri Digne, respectively. Officials said seven arrests were made and the riot squad spent the rest of night watching hundreds of beer sodden fans.
On Saturday England take on Russian Federation in Group B amid fears of trouble between their fans in Marseille, where there was a stand-off between supporters on Friday, 18 years after England followers caused chaos in the Port city at the World Cup.
The police subsequently told pubs and restaurants on the quay to close for the evening after the troubles.
The ground was covered in broken glass and drink cans.
The unrest came a day after around 250 England fans pelted police with cans outside a bar in the Vieux-Port area.
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French train drivers have also been on strike for days; France’s SNCF rail company was disrupted in the southeast, with cancellations possible. One English fan needed hospital treatment for a minor injury.
