LAST 16
France 2- 1 Turkey
Dónal O'Brien
Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania
Monday 29th June
Having topped the tournament’s Group of Death with 9 points out of 9 one would have expected France to have come into this game oozing with the signature confiance that has commonly been attributed to this recent batch of French superstars. The team came up against Portugal and Germany, among the strongest teams this past decade, in the group stage and having overcome both it is no wonder they have emerged as one of the favourites in this year’s competition.
However, in football sometimes scorelines only tell half the story and under closer scrutiny the French team were second best for large parts of whose games against Portugal and Germany. Adding to the lingering uncertainty and frustration of many French fans was their failure to rack up a higher score against an extremely poor Bulgarian team. France still had a lot to prove and answered many of those questions in this enticing match-up in Bucharest.
Here to meet them on another scorching evening in the city was a Turkey team who had been going from strength to strength this tournament. Following their narrow loss to Italy and the pulsating draw against Wales was a more reassured performance against the Swiss, beating them two goals to nil. Such was the newfound optimism in their tournament credentials many footballing pundits were predicting an upset on the cards, believing that the intensity of the Turkish play would take advantage of recent French fragility. This belief was also evident from the fans who had turned up in their droves and decorated the city in the white star and crescent on red of the Turkish flag.
The atmosphere in the National Arena, the last game hosted here in this competition, by kick-off was equally as electrifying as on the streets. The Turkish fans, notorious for their undying loyalty to their football teams, did not disappoint in putting on a spectacle. A handful of crafty supporters managed to outsmart stadium security to sneak in smoke flares and the thick red smoke emitted billowed across the pitch when France got the game on the way, giving it an ominous atmosphere for what was always going to be a tense affair.
In the opening exchanges the French players were visibly affected by the cacophony of sound that echoed around the stadium and struggled to keep hold of the ball. Within the first 10 minutes Lloris was called upon twice to save French blushes after two passing errors from Kanté and Pogba led to Turkish counter attacks led by Karaman and Enes Unal. Unal, the young Valladolid forward, had been shown a vote of confidence by Turkish manager Şenol Güneş to lead the line after his impressive cameo appearance and goal against Switzerland. For the first effort after just 3 minutes the French keeper pushed a close-range header from Karaman out for a corner. The second on the 9th minute was even more impressive as he dived full stretch to keep out Unal’s powerful shot from the edge of the box.
After a stern telling off from Lloris and Deschamps' barking orders from the sideline France soon found their composure in the middle of the park. On the 20th minute mark Griezmann sent low a skimming shot narrowly past the left post that had Sinan Bolat scrambling. Shortly later, in the 22nd minute, Mbappé once again showed the class he has previously produced in this year’s competition by cutting in from the right to send a thunderbolt of a strike into the top left-hand corner to give France the lead. This time Bolat could only stand flat footed and sorrowfully watch the ball enter the goal.
France continued to push forward looking for a second with the attacking partnership of Griezmann, Mbappé and Giroud linking up well but finding it difficult to create clear opportunities through the middle. Mbappé, proving a menace for Kaldirim on the right flank the whole game, found an opening after brushing past the Turkish left back. The PSG man then whipped in a cross to Giroud who rose above the Turkish defence to connect and send a thumping header crashing against the crossbar. Bolat’s face again a picture and this time he dutifully laid into his backline.
Turkey riled by their vocal support refused to let up and continued to attack in numbers. Their endeavours eventually paid dividends on the 42nd minute when Enes Unal’s acrobatic effort on the penalty spot induced mayhem in the stands. The former Manchester City striker contorted his body mid-air to meet Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s cross with his right foot and drive the ball into the net. Unal was mobbed by his teammates in such jubliant celebrations you may have been mistaken that they had won the tournament itself! 1-1 at half-time and the crowd would have surely been grateful for the respite from the high energy action on the pitch.
The second half started in a much more relaxed manner as both teams took the foot off the pedal for what made for a very cagey 45 minutes. Chances were few and far between and Turkey looked bereft of ideas in the last attacking third, unable to break down the newly reshuffled French defence. France took control and patiently passed the ball around in the Turkish half to the incessant whistling from the Turkish crowd. They were rewarded for their patience on the 75th minute when Pogba was bundled to the ground by a frustrated Ozan Tufan. The enfant terrible for many Manchester United fans the past few seasons proved why he is considered the merveille of this generation of French players by rocketing an unstoppable shot into the Turkish goal. No doubt the picture on tomorrows papers will be of that of Pogba strutting nonchalantly towards the corner flag in celebration before the ball had even hit the back of the net - an iconic image for years to come.
Turkey brought on the experienced Emre and Yilmaz to find an equalizer, but it was to no avail as France saw out the last 15 minutes with little threat from their tired Turkish opposition. Turkey bow out of this year's competition hoping that their young team have learned well from the experience. France go marching on with heightened confidence after coming out on top in yet another difficult test that will go a long way to answering their critics.
Deschamps’ team will now have to quickly refocus and set their sights on the next challenge in the way of emulating the World Cup 98 and Euro 00 winning teams. Waiting for them in the quater finals in St. Petersburg is their old foe England, another young team brimming with confidence after overcoming Poland earlier in the day. So, after four highly entertaining games it is an adieu to our gracious host city of Bucharest. It has been magical.
Man of the Match: Kylian Mbappé