Marseille:
On Sunday, French footballer Olivier Giroud scored two goals and set up another
to help defeat Iceland 5-2 to reach the semi-finals.
Giroud
fired France ahead after just 12 minutes at a rain-drenched Stade de France
with Paul Pogba then heading in his first goal of the tournament to double
the hosts’ lead. Dimitri Payet struck two minutes before half-time to put
France in complete control and Antoine Griezmann raced clear to add a fourth to
round out France’s first-half blitz.
Iceland
put on another never-say-die performance. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson and Birkir
Bjarnason grabbed second-half consolation goals either side of Giroud’s second
but Iceland were overpowered by France’s domination.
Didier
Deschamps’ men will take on Germany in Marseille on Thursday for a place in the
final, while Iceland will return home as heroes after a remarkable run in their
first appearance at a major tournament. “Germany are the best team, there is no
doubt about that, even if Italy gave them a few scares. But we are there in the
final four,” said Deschamps.
Iceland,
who had never beaten France in 11 attempts, kept faith with the side that
shocked England, making European Championship history as the first team to name
an unchanged line-up for their first five matches.
It
took less than a quarter hour for France to make the breakthrough though. Giroud
raced onto Blaise Matuidi’s floated ball over the defence and drilled through
the legs of Hannes Halldorsson.
France
will face Germany in the semi-finals which will take place on July 7. But
before that, another semi-final match will be played between Portugal and
Wales.
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