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Soccer

A shape emerges when you break down what France were trying to do against Romania

Based on last night, it's incredible to think that Dimitri Payet was not a definite for a place i...



A shape emerges when you break...
Soccer

A shape emerges when you break down what France were trying to do against Romania

Based on last night, it's incredible to think that Dimitri Payet was not a definite for a place in the France squad for Euro 2016 a couple of months ago.

The West Ham attacking midfielder put in an impressive overall display capped by a wonder goal of a winner against Romania to give his country the perfect start to the tournament.

Looking back at the game again a second time on reflection, his tactical role in the setup was interesting.

France were expected to play with a 4-3-3 this summer and at times, that's what they did out of possession and occasionally on it.

But on the ball, while Payet did exploit spaces down the left, he was also the attacking tip of a diamond shape that was clear when France had the ball.

Leicester's N'Golo Kante sat at the base, breaking up play and making simple passes. Paul Pogba was the playmaker, not getting forward regularly, bar that one volley which forced a good save shortly before Olivier Giroud opened the scoring.

On the inside left side of the diamond shape, PSG's Blaise Matuidi was entrusted with the box-to-box role, enjoying his better moments when he was able to drive past the Romanian press.  

The Passing Numbers: Payet (8), Kante (5), Pogba (15) and Matuidi (14)

While Payet did spend time on the left, he increasingly drifted centrally as the match wore on and almost exclusively in the second half as Les Bleus struggled to find a winner.

Up front, the versatile and quick Antoine Griezmann played very centrally, close to Giroud in order to try and capitalise on the great strength of the Arsenal forward, namely flick-ons and being played in with a target man touch.

Out of possession, Griezmann remained central when Romania won the ball with tackles and interceptions back but in instances when the opposition were starting to build from the back, he often moved out to patrol the right flank and showed plenty of work-rate in his hour of action - with one first half tackle to win back the ball deep in his own half garnering praise.

With Anthony Martial coming onto the left for Pogba, and winger Kingsley Coman on the right in place of Griezmann - two bold substitutions from Didier Deschamps - France were able to stretch the Romanian defence more in the final 10 minutes.

But when it comes to the diamond shape, they will need more attacking threat from the full-backs Bacary Sagna and Patrice Evra to make that work more effectively going forward.

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