Reuters
Lyon, June 27: Hosts France came from behind to beat 10-man Ireland 2-1 and reach the Euro 2016 quarterfinals after a tactical switch freed forward Antoine Griezmann to score two second-half goals at Parc OL here, Sunday.
The masterstroke from coach Didier Deschamps at the break unshackled France’s attackers, who had struggled to get a hold on the game early on after a Robbie Brady penalty in the second minute, the fastest goal so far at this year’s tournament.
Griezmann struck either side of the hour mark to the relief of the nervous home fans before Ireland had defender Shane Duffy sent off after 66 minutes for bringing down the flying forward.
It was the worst possible start for France when serial offender Paul Pogba, responsible for conceding two of his country’s last four penalties, clumsily barged over Shane Long in the area and allowed Brady to put Ireland into an early lead.
Deschamps changed things after the break, pushing Griezmann into a more central role behind strike partner Olivier Giroud and replacing holding midfielder N’Golo Kante with pacey winger Kingsley Coman, which allowed playmaker Pogba to take the reins in the middle of the pitch.
The strategy paid dividends immediately as France stretched a tiring Ireland. Griezmann equalised in the 58th minute from a Bacary Sagna cross and fired his team in front three minutes later.
Another surging run from Griezmann saw him chopped down on the edge of the area by Duffy, earning the defender a red card as the game started to look beyond the Irish.
The packed home support who booed their team as they trudged off at halftime broke into a deafening ‘Marseillaise’ and cheered France all the way to their first knockout stage win at a Euro finals since winning the trophy in 2000.