France-Italy U19 4-0 win the UEFA Under 19 European Championship 2016.

   

    Subsequent to falling 2-1 in their opener against England, France's U19 side went from quality to quality in UEFA Euro Under 19 European Championship 2016 in Germany, topping their intense keep running with a 4-0 pounding of Italy in Sunday's last to wind up the third French side in the U19 period to claim European gold.

       There was little astonish that it was rising Paris Saint-Germain star Jean-Kévin Augustin who drew first blood, the competition top scorer demonstrated all the levelheadedness on the planet as he moved through the Italian barrier before adjusting the 'attendant and stroking home splendidly at the close post (6').

     With an opposition topping six objectives - three of which were packed away in the 5-1 bunch stage drubbing of the Netherlands - Augustin has been the disclosure of the competition and is tipped for a tremendously expanded part for his club under new mentor Unai Emery this season.

       Soon after the opener, it was EA Guingamp midfielder Ludovic Blas who ventured up to the plate, gesturing a pin-point header home at the close post (20') to make it 2-0. Blas, 18, showed up (one objective) in all rivalries for Guingamp's first group last season, however is prone to see significantly more diversion time in the coming effort.

        Italy figured out how to hold out a decent extended period of time before surrendering once more, however there was nothing they could do to keep France down when Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Lucas Tousart scored his first chief's objective of the competition with a diverted shot from outside the zone (83').

      Tousart's lone Ligue 1 appearance to date came in the 2-0 home misfortune to Anger SCO as the club was battling in November a year ago before hitting their straps in the second 50% of the season, yet OL's expanded calendar this season - because of their capability for Champions League football - ought to see the youth find the opportunity to demonstrate his courage on the household - or European stage.

       While Tousart's objective successfully executed the match off, Les Bleuets clearly felt that their point had not been sufficiently made and Toulouse shield Issa Diop took it upon himself to lose his man in the zone before smashing a projectile header in off the underside of the bar.

     France captain Lucas Tousart will long remember this summer evening in a France national shirt. The Olympic Lion midfielder was on hand as France taught their Italian counterparts a lesson in Sinsheim, Germany, scoring four unanswered goals to score a big win over Italy in the UEFA European Under 19 Championship 2016. The scorer of France's third goal gave his first impressions just few hours after lifting the trophy.

Is this how France will line up against Portugal in the UEFA EURO 2016 final?

  Didier Deschamps is set to stick with the same XI which downed Germany in the Euro 2016 semi-final when his France side take on Portugal in Saint-Denis on Sunday.

Moussa Sissoko and Samuel Umtiti were added to the line up through the knockout stages as replacements for N’Golo Kante and Adil Rami – who missed out through suspension – and have performed well enough to keep their places for the final.

Elsewhere, it’s as expected. Six-goal Antoine Griezmann has been the star of the European Championship and will play up front with Olivier Giroud and Dimitri Payet.A strong, determined performance from France was enough to beat a Germany side who enjoyed plenty of possession, but created little. The hosts will play Portugal in the final.

France began the game well, lovely interplay between Blaise Matuidi and Antoine Griezmann taking them across the pitch and into the box before the ball caught under the latter's feet, allowing Manuel Neuer to push his shot away. Subsequently, Germany took over, the clever angles of passing and movement taken by Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos too much for France, who simply sat deep, hoping to survive and then break.

In that period, Germany could not create much, lacking ideas around the box and a serious centre-forward, though Samuel Umtiti was outstanding in the French defence and in front of him, Moussa Sissoko chased and tracked diligently.

Then, on the stroke of half-time, Patrice Evra, a growing offensive influence, rose to attack a header and Schweinsteiger rose with him, throwing up an arm that made contact with the ball. The referee pointed to the spot, and Griezmann slammed it left-footed into the net.

Germany could not muster the same dominance in the second half as France improved - Laurent Koscielny grew into the game as did Paul Pogba, and it was he who created the decisive second after 72 minutes. Catching Joshua Kimmich in possession, he refused the opportunity to go down under the consequent challenge, instead backing away, waggling his foot over the ball and diddling Shkodran Mustafi, before lifting a cross that Neuer could only palm out to Griezmann; he stabbed home with chilling competence.

And that, more or less was that. The Marseille crowd enjoyed 20 minutes of collective bliss, and France will fancy themselves hard in the final.

Antoine Griezmann fires France into final with Portugal.

   Hosts France advanced to the Euro 2016 final with their first victory over Germany in a major tournament since 1958 on a night of high emotion in Marseille.

Antoine Griezmann, the tournament's top scorer, made the decisive contributions in each half to set up a final against Portugal at the Stade de France on Sunday.

Griezmann scored from the penalty spot right on half-time when Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger was penalised for handball by Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli in an aerial challenge with Patrice Evra.

France held out against German pressure before Griezmann settled the destination of a pulsating semi-final with 18 minutes left when he turned in from close range after keeper Manuel Neuer could only half-clear Paul Pogba's cross.

Joshua Kimmich then hit the woodwork for Germany and also saw a header brilliantly saved by France keeper Hugo Lloris - but there was no way back for the World Cup holders.

France made a slow start to Euro 2016 but there was a real sense inside Marseille's vast Stade Velodrome that Didier Deschamps' team are now being carried towards the finishing line in Paris on Sunday by a national tide of emotion.

It was, of course, during a friendly between France and Germany at the Stade de France, which will stage Sunday's Euro 2016 final, that the first explosions were heard on the night of the Paris attacks in November in which 130 people died and hundreds of others were wounded. Fourteen players who started that night were in the line-ups that took to the field here in Marseille.

The atmosphere inside the Stade Velodrome was electric after a day of searing temperatures and the togetherness now felt between France's players and their supporters was summed up in one moment in the second half.

Germany were applying pressure in an attempt to claw back a 1-0 deficit when the whole ground erupted into a rousing chorus of national anthem La Marseillaise to urge their team on.

One more task remains against Portugal on Sunday - the whole of France expects.

Iceland’s fairytale came to an end as France.

       

      Iceland’s fairytale came to an end as France cruised into a semi-final against Germany with a blistering first-half performance.France make short work of Iceland to coast into the Euro 2016 semi final.

        Peep peep! For a meaningless second half, that was pretty enjoyable. France go through to meet Germany; Iceland have done themselves proud even in a 5-2 defeat. 

          The XI who started all five games are already legends of Icelandic football. France will hope to achieve the same status in their own country in the next seven days.

         Thanks to Iceland for making football fun in the last few weeks. And thanks to whichever higher power decreed that France will face Germany in the semi-final, because that will be an epic even before a ball is kicked. Thanks for your emails and company; I’ll leave you with this from Niall Mullen.