Euro 2016: France 5-2 Iceland - 5 talking points

France were excellent in the first half

France eased into the semi-finals of Euro 2016 as a breathless first-half performance helped them clinch a 5-2 victory over a spirited Iceland side. Goals from Olivier Giroud, Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann in the first half settled the game as a contest.

However, Iceland – who could have easily capitulated to a record defeat – refused to give in and scored twice through Kolbein Sigthorsson and Birkir Bjarnason either side of Olivier Giroud’s second of the night.

Here are the talking points of the game at the Stade de France:-

1) France absolutely breath-taking in the first half

It was as memorable first half for hosts France as it was forgettable for the Islanders. Didier Deschamps' side were nearly unstoppable, moving the ball around in midfield with some slick passing.

They penetrated the Icelandic defence time and time again. While Dimitri Payet or Blaise Matuidi provided that decisive pass, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann were constantly getting in behind the opposition defenders to open up a goal-scoring chance. Apart from five to seven minutes of decent possession from Iceland, France were dominant throughout the first half and deservedly killed the game off with a four-goal lead.