France ready to roar after easing off pressure

France’s Dimitri Payet, left, celebrates with Blaise Matuidi after scoring, during the Euro 2016 Group A soccer match between France and Romania, at the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, Friday, June 10, 2016.

France made a flawless start to the European Championship on Friday, with its national team beating Romania and its security forces ensuring that everyone stayed safe at the Stade de France.

But football fans were in good spirits as more than 80,000 poured into the Stade de France in Paris for the opening match between France and Romania on Friday. While France is on high alert for terror attacks it is old-fashioned hooligans who have proved the first test for security forces, with two nights of clashes in Marseille.

Police are on high alert in the southern city of Marseille, where England and Russian Federation supporters clashed and hurled bottles at officers on Friday night, a day before their first game. “By keeping Dimitri Payet in the heart of the midfield, we had to take off a midfielder”.

Payet rescued France from a scrappy performance, creating six clear-cut chances inside the first hour – including Olivier Giroud’s opening goal – and then winning the match with a stunning late strike into the top left corner.

Payet entered the tournament on the back of a tremendous Premier League campaign with West Ham, and he showed the world what he’s been doing in East London all year long.

“It was unbelievable but I think you have to say thanks to West Ham because he went to the Premier League, where it is a different game”.

“Everything has been done to make sure the match ran as smoothly as possible – both for the teams and supporters”, France coach Didier Deschamps said through a translator. “It was a superb goal”.

Payet had already struck a last-gasp victor with a stunning free kick in France’s 3-2 victory against Cameroon on May 30 and it helps having somebody in the team who can use both feet to whip a game changer.

Friday’s opening game served that goal. At the end I thought: ‘This is a new job for me, ‘ and I’m not ashamed to say that, it’s the truth.

Meanwhile, Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea appeared at a Spanish team press conference to dismiss reports that he had organised a party where women were allegedly forced to have sex against their will.

Highly fancied to win the tournament for third time in their history, France were continually frustrated by a Romanian side which conceded just two goals in 10 qualifying games.

On Saturday England take on Russian Federation in Group B amid fears of trouble between their fans in Marseille, where there was a stand-off between supporters on Friday, 18 years after England followers caused chaos in the Port city at the World Cup.