Euro 2016 - France 2-0 Albania: 5 talking points

Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet’s late strikes were enough to send France into the knockout stages of UEFA Euro 2016. After the hosts spurned a number of opportunities, the vital moment finally arrived in the 90th minute, when Adil Rami’s cross was met by an unmarked Griezmann in between the two central defenders.

The game was sealed in the 95th minute as Albania were left short at the back in an attempt to find an equaliser. Dimitri Payet finished off the resulting French counter-attack with a perfect side-footed finish past goalkeeper Berisha.

Here are the 5 talking points of an eye-catching football match:

#1 Anthony Martial’s selection fails to pay off

The biggest talking point came even before the ball was kicked – news came through from the French camp that Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann were dropped from the starting lineup and were replaced by the youthful duo of Kingsley Coman and Anthony Martial.

However, the latter’s selection did not produce the desired result, as he failed to produce the magic that made him a superstar in his debut season at Manchester United. He failed to beat the Albanian right-back with his fleet-footed dribbles and was very hesitant to get a shot away. He was promptly replaced by Pogba at half-time.