EURO 2016 under way with a Can-Can show!

The Can-Can show opened the UEFA EURO-2016 in France and the French soccer team started the championship with a fantastic game against Romania. At6 half-time, 0-0 with both sides ruing failed chances, Romania denied a clear penalty.

France 2       Romania 1

Giroud (58)  Stanciu (pen.) (65)

Payet (89)

At the Stade de France, in Paris, Didier Deschamps' France, the hosts, faced Anghel Iordanescu's Romania. The teams had drawn four of their last five competitive matches and at the EURO, the last two encounters ended in a 1-0 win for Framce in 1996 and a 0-0 draw in 2008.

Iordanescu had said before the match started that he aimed to qualify for the next round and also to show quality football. And he delivered. At half-time, Romania had had an equal chance of a goal and had been denied a clear penalty.

The first situation of danger came on 4' after a corner to Romania, the ball was cleared off the French line by goalkeeper Lloris. On 10', Griezmann came back for France, getting a corner from which Giroud headed just wide. Giroud took advantage of a rebound on 14', firing against the post. On 36', Griezmann fired just wide as once again France created danger.

38 minutes, PENALTY TO ROMANIA!!

But not given by the referee Viktor Kassai. And one was clearly fouled in the penalty area, receiving a treacherous and dangerous kick to his knee.

The first half ended with Giroud heading over from a corner. Chances for both sides, France ahead in terms of attack, but Romania resolute.

After the break, Stanciu fired wide after gaining a good position on 48' but France came back. Tatarusanu saved on the line on 52', and again on 57' denied Pogba. On 58', Giroud back-headed the first French goal from outside the area.

Romania did not give up and on 64', Stanciu was fouled in the area, and scored (65') from the resulting penalty. 1-1. End-to-end stuff until right at the end of the game, when Payet pulled off perhaps the goal of the tournament in the first match, firing into the top right-hand corner from outside the area. Space given by the Romanian defence, but a spectacular piece of timely individual skill.

France

Lloris, Sagna, Koscielny, Rami, Evra, Kante, Matuidi, Pogba (Martial), Griezmann (Coman), Payet (Sissoko), Giroud

Romania

Tatarusanu, Sapunaru, Grigore, Chiriches, Rat, Hoban, Pintilii, Stanciu, Popa (Torje), Stanciu (Chipciu), Andone (Alibec)

 

EURO 2016 France: All you need to know

 

Russia's games, calendars of games, the groups and the system, all here at Pravda.Ru sports section. Pravda.Ru sportsdesk led by Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey with five correspondents in France will bring you all the latest information on the games, the players and the competition.

 

Russia's games

June 11 v. England in Marseille (20.00 BST)

June 15 v. Slovakia in Lille (14.00 BST)

June 20 v. Wales in Toulouse (20.00 BST)

 

Euro 2016 - The groups

  

Group A

France, Romania, Albania, Switzerland

June 10 (20) France v. Romania

June 11 (14) Albania v. Switzerland

June 15 (17) Romania v. Switzerland

June 15 (20) France v. Albania

June 20 (20) Romania v. Albania; Switzerland v. France

 

Group B

England, Russia, Wales, Slovakia

June 11 (17) Wales v. Slovakia

June 11 (20) England v. Russia

June 15 (14) Russia v. Slovakia

June 16 (14) England v. Wales

June 20 (20) Russia v. Wales; Slovakia v. England

 

Group C

Germany, Ukraine, Poland, Northern Ireland

June 12 (17) Poland v. Northern Ireland

June 12 (20) Germany v. Ukraine

June 16 (17) Ukraine v. Northern Ireland

June 16 (20) Germany v. Poland

June 21 (17) Ukraine v. Poland; Northern Ireland v. Germany

  

Group D

Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey, Croatia

June 12 (14) Turkey v. Croatia

June 13 (14) Spain v. Czech Republic

June 17 (17) Czech Republic v. Croatia

June 17 (20) Spain v. Turkey

June 21 (20) Czech Republic v. Turkey; Croatia v. Spain

 

Group E

Belgium, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Sweden

June 13 (17) Republic of Ireland v. Sweden

June 13 (20) Belgium v. Italy

June 17 (14) Italy v. Sweden

June 18 (14) Belgium v. Republic of Ireland

June 22 (20) Italy v. Republic of Ireland; Sweden v. Belgium

 

Group F

Portugal, Iceland, Austria, Hungary

June 14 (17) Austria v. Hungary

June 14 (20) Portugal v. Iceland

June 17 (17) Iceland v. Hungary

June 17 (20) Portugal v. Austria

June 22 (17) Iceland v. Austria; Hungary v. Portugal

 

Last 16

Saturday June 25 Group A (2) v. Group C (2);   Group B (1) v. Group ACD (3);  Group D (1) v. Group BEF (3)

Sunday June 26 Group A (1) v. Group CDE (3); Group C (1) v. Group ABF (3); Group F (1) v. Group E (2)

Monday June 27 Group E (1) v. Group D (2); Group B (2) v. Group F (2)

 

Aleksei Federov

Pravda.Ru

 

Edited by Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey

Pravda.Ru

France