France 2 Albania 0: Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet are the heroes as Euro 2016 hosts leave it late to snatch victory again
Didier Deschamps' side left it late to beat Romania in the opening match and maintain 100 per cent record in Marseille
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ANTOINE GRIEZMANN went from zero to hero to help France into the last 16 of Euro 2016.
The forward was axed by boss Didier Deschamps after a poor performance in the opener against Romania.
But he delivered the goods in the final minute after coming off the bench and saving France from a shock draw.
Albania fought like warriors all night but they finally slumped to the turf as Dimitri Payet killed them off with the second goal, six minutes into injury-time.
Diminutive Griezmann’s late header put giant striker Olivier Giroud to shame after the Arsenal man missed several chances with his bonce.
He did thump the woodwork but the striker was booed off when he was subbed as Deschamps lost patience.
A winning goal looked elusive for the hosts and Albania almost broke French hearts with their own effort against a post.
But Griezmann, carrying the nation’s hopes in the absence of star striker Karim Benzema, delivered to put his side into the knockouts.
After dropping Paul Pogba to the bench, Payet was given the chance to shine in a free role behind Giroud.
Elseid Hysaj drilled in a cross and an alert Hugo Lloris had to be on hand to stop Armando Sadiku silencing the crowd.
Suddenly the French fans were growing restless as their side were restricted to chances from set-pieces.
Payet picked out Giroud with another delightful free-kick but again the ball sailed over the bar.
Albania were causing trouble with the dead-ball too and, when Ledian Memushaj’s free-kick brushed past the bar on its way over, hearts were in mouths.
The half-time whistle was met with jeers from the crowd, who were not witnessing the thrashing they had expected.
In an attempt to liven it up, Deschamps threw on Pogba at half-time in the hope the tournament’s poster boy could deliver.
His mere presence seemed to lift the place as France threw caution to the wind.
Kingsley Coman headed an effort just wide of the post from Giroud’s cross before Payet also grazed the woodwork with another wicked free-kick.
But in their desperation to score, France had to be wary about being caught out at the back and they almost paid the price ten minutes into the second half. Memushaj made a nuisance of himself in the box and, as he tangled with Bacary Sagna, the ball bounced off the woodwork.
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That moment of panic sparked France into life and the match suddenly opened up.
Payet, who was now out wide, was cutting in with joy and his whipped cross was forced just over the bar by a lunging Pogba at the back post.
Griezmann was the next star name to come off the bench as France frantically searched for a way through a wall of white shirts.
It looked like their chances would be created from out wide and Payet almost sprinkled his magic stardust on the game.
He picked out Giroud with another fine cross but again the ball whistled past the post as groans echoed around the Stade Velodrome.
Moments later, Giroud went even closer as this time Coman found him with a ball from the left-hand side.
But this time the post denied the Arsenal man and it seemed it would not be his night.
Giroud was hauled off and, perhaps letting their guard down, the Albanian defence lost sub Griezmann eight yards out and he glanced Adil Rami’s cross inside the far post.
Payet killed off Albania as Pogba launched a raking 60-yard ball to sub Andre-Pierre Gignac. His miscontrol saw the ball fall to the onrushing Payet, who steadied himself before curling neatly into the net.