World champions Germany meet hosts France in enticing clash

After beating the Netherlands to a place in France during qualifying, coach Lars Lagerback led the team through a hard group before masterminding a shock victory over England in the round of 16 as Iceland set up a quarter-final with France. “We need to cut out these small defensive mistakes”, he said.

“That was the bit where we have been struggling since the start of the competition”.

It seemed as though the contest was already effectively over when Payet turned the screw two minutes before halftime, sweeping home a low leftfoot strike from the edge of the area for his third goal of the tournament.

The Icelandic thunderclap roar proved no match for the sheer talent of France as the host finally showed its title credentials at the European Championship Sunday. “They did not give up, they did not stop, they return as heroes”, said August Ingi Kristjansson, a 23-year-old who was present in Stade de France on Sunday.

France boss Didier Deschamps says his team will be facing the “best side in the world” when they meet Germany for a place in the Euro 2016 final.

The match on Thursday takes place nearly 34 years to the day since the 1982 World Cup semi-final in Seville which ended in a traumatic defeat for Michel Platini’s team. “It’s not ideal even if I made some changes but there are so many positives to take from tonight”, he said. Before that they played in July 2014 and Germany won that game 0 – 1.

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has hailed the recently developed chemistry between himself, Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet in France’s attack. “I hope I will get to see many national team matches here in Reyjkavik”. They have a great team with some great players. The performance of the team in France has reinvigorated a country which has gone through a hard period in its history. Griezmann tucked away France’s fourth on the stroke of the interval, running onto Giroud’s pass and lifting the ball over Halldorsson.