Euro 2016: France leave it late to beat Albania 2-0

16 June,2016 08:35 AM IST |   |  IANS

Strikers Griezmann and Dimitri Payet score late goals as France beat Albania 2-0 in Marseille and booked its place in the knockout rounds of Euro 2016 on Wednesday

France's forward Antoine Griezmann reacts after scoring France's first goal during the Euro 2016 group A football match between France and Albania at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille


Marseille: France beat Albania 2-0 in Marseille and booked its place in the knockout rounds of Euro 2016 on Wednesday.


France's forward Antoine Griezmann reacts after scoring France's first goal during the Euro 2016 group A football match between France and Albania at the Velodrome stadium in Marseille. Pic/AFP

Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet both scored late goals to give France a 2-0 win over the minnows.

The Atletico Madrid forward, initially named as a substitute, headed home with just a minute of normal time remaining after Adil Rami's superb cross from the right flank, and Payet added his second goal of the tournament with a terrific injury-time finish to confirm his side's victory,

France had previously wasted numerous opportunities to take the lead against the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, with striker Olivier Giroud guilty of missing a number of gilt-edged chances in Marseille.

However, it mattered little come the final whistle, with Les Bleus confirming their spot in the latter stages of the competition, with their victory confirming that they cannot finish lower than second in Group A.

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