Euro 2016: Hosts France Through To Final After 2-0 Win Over Misfiring Germans (Photos & Highlights)

Alan Duffy

7th, July 2016

3 Comments

Hosts France weathered a first-half storm against Germany to run out 2-0 winners in the Euro 2016 semi-final in Marseille, a result which sets up an intriguing final clash with Portugal on Sunday.

Germany utterly bossed the first-half, but despite the scheming of Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos, the lack of an in-form striker proved crucial. Without the injured Mario Gomez, Thomas Muller needed to kickstart his dismal tournament, but instead the Bayern Munich star produced another impotent display.

Just before half-time, and totally against the run of play, Les Bleus took the lead after Bastian Schweinsteiger handled in the box. Antoine Griezmann stepped up to fire home the resulting spot-kick to give the hosts an undeserved lead at the break. Still not sure about the celebration though.

In the second-half, France improved, buoyed by their one-goal advantage. The Germans continued to look for openings, but once again the lack of a cutting edge would leave them frustrated.

Then, with 18 minutes left, Griezmann sealed the deal for the French, prodding home after an initial error by Joshua Kimmich in the box.

German had now run out of ideas and ultimately, despite all their possession and good passing, they just couldn’t break down the French defence.

Didier Deschamps’ charges march on to the final in Paris, hoping their repeat their success on home soil in both the 1984 Euros and the 1998 World.

As for Germany, they need to start producing some decent young strikers!

Highlights…

(Highlights: Footytube)

Posted in Euro 2016, International football, Photos, Videos

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3 Comments

  1. Jarren says:

    Let’s be honest, we’re looking to the final now and the most excitement we have had is with the team who we all find the most boring.

    Portugal have reached the final (somehow), and yet we should all agree that they were part of the most exciting game (against Hungary, that 3-3).

    How crazy is that.

    Overall, this has been a pretty shite watch for the past month. Negative, possession based football with almost zero to enamour the sport to outsiders.

    I am trying to think of something positive to say, so let’s hope for a goalfest in the final.

    PLEASE.

  2. squiggle says:

    I enjoyed the game and I’ve enjoyed the tournament, with not just Iceland and Wales doing well but also both Irelands and Albania. It’s an unoriginal comment but a lot of people’s disappointment with recent tournaments has more to do with how ubiquitous football has become than the quality of the playing – even since the last Euros the coverage has spread, and you can see the best players in the world on a stream even if there’s no coverage of a match in your country, while new gossip is created every day of the year and spread though millions of computer screens.

  3. A Nonny Moose says:

    I agree with each of you in some ways. I think it’s been shite football by the powerhouses, and exciting stuff by the minnows.

    Who’d have thought that Portugal (which to me shades more towards a powerhouse than a minnow) would be the beneficiary of the expansion to 24 teams in terms of both making to the knockout stages and the lopsidedness of the bracket, while Wales, Iceland, Hungary, and Croatia all would have advanced in a 16 team tournament?

Leave a Reply to Jarren