France left it late to get their Euro 2016 campaign off to a winning start this evening, eventually running out 2-1 victors in the opening match of the tournament at the Stade de France.
Both sides squandered good chances in the opening 45 minutes, with Antoine Griezmann hitting the post, but the breakthrough didn't arrive until shortly before the hour mark when Olivier Giroud nodded home.
The hosts were ahead for only six minutes before Bogdan Stancu levelled things up from the spot, but Dimitri Payet thrashed home a memorable 89th-minute winner to rescue all three points for his side.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
6pmGood evening! The two-year wait for the return of a major international football tournament will finally be over tonight as France and Romania get the highly-anticipated Euro 2016 underway at the Stade de France! The next few weeks promise to be a feast of football as 24 teams battle it out to be crowned the champions of Europe, and the hosts will be hoping to set the tone tonight. Indeed, as we have a bumper two-hour build-up for you, we may as well start with a look at Les Bleus...
6.03pmIt certainly hasn't been an ideal build-up for France to this summer's tournament, with manager Didier Deschamps admitting that not even in his worst nightmare could he have envisioned a number of things that have gone wrong in the run-up to the tournament. From the usual pitfalls of football such as late injuries to key players to the more obscure accusations of a racist team selection and his star striker being ruled out due to an alleged sex tape blackmail plot all the way through to the very serious backdrop of national security, it has not been plain sailing whatsoever for France.
6.06pmHowever, despite all that, the hosts are regarded by many to be the favourites to lift the trophy this summer, and it is easy to see why they are so heavily fancied. Not only do they boast home advantage - something which they have a good track record of making count - but they also go into the tournament in good form, particularly in the final third. They may not have played a competitive game for two years now, but the signs from their friendlies recently have been encouraging with nine victories from their last 10 outings - a run that stretches back a year to June 2015 and includes wins over world champions Germany and Portugal.
6.09pmThe only exception in that run should have an asterisk beside it too, with England winning 2-0 at Wembley in a November friendly that was completely overshadowed by the terrorist attacks that rocked Paris just a few days before. Since then, though, France have won four from four, boasting a 100% record in 2016, while they have scored at least three goals in all of those matches. Their free-scoring form is perhaps what makes them the big favourites for this summer's tournament, with 13 goals in those four games, but at the other end they have conceded eight times in their last five games.
6.12pmEUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENERS: Throughout the build-up to this match I will be looking back at past opening matches from this tournament, and it just so happens that they first ever edition came in France, with the hosts playing in the first game. That was in 1960, and the beginning of what was then a four-team tournament turned out to be one of the most thrilling matches in its history. France ultimately lost, but the crowd were given their money's worth as Yugoslavia ran out 5-4 winners in a memorable contest.
6.15pmThat is one of four major tournaments that France have held before this summer, and they have gone on to win it on the last two occasions. In addition to their first-round/semi-final exit at Euro '60, France also hosted the 1938 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals. The golden eras of French football came in the 1980s and 1990s, though, and they were lucky enough to host a tournament in both decades. Michel Platini was the talisman as they won on home soil at the European Championships in 1984, while Zinedine Zidane took on the mantle for the 1998 World Cup. Could Paul Pogba perhaps be the man to follow in those two legends' footsteps this summer? It is certainly a big ask!
6.18pmFrance, of course, went on to add the Euro 2000 title to their World Cup crown from two years prior, meaning that only Spain and Germany (three wins each) can better France's record in this competition down the years. However, things have not exactly gone to plan since their triumph in 2000, and they come into tonight's game having won just one of their last eight matches at European Championships, with five defeats in that time too. That victory came over Ukraine in 2012 as France were eliminated in the quarter-finals, which was at least an improvement on their 2008 showing when they were dumped out in the group stages without recording a single win.
6.21pmIt would be a major shock if they weren't to significantly improve that record this summer, although the host nation hasn't historically performanced particularly well in this competition. France in 1984 were the last side to host it and go on to win it, while only Spain (1964) and Italy (1968) have also achieved that feat. The thought that hosting this tournament boosts chances of success if something of a myth, then, and the hosts haven't exactly got a good record in the opening game either. Of the 17 opening matches at European Championships, the host nation has won just five, with six draws and six defeats (counting Italy's 0-0 against Soviet Union in 1968, which was won on a coin toss, as a draw).
6.24pmHistorically it has proven to be very important to get off to a good start if you are going to win a major international tournament too. Of the 13 tournaments since 1990, including World Cups, the eventual winners have only been beaten in their opening match once - when Spain lost to Switzerland at the 2010 World Cup. Ten of the eventual winners have won their opening game, while the remaining two ended in a draw. Luckily for France, the strength of their group - or relative lack thereof - means that a draw would not be catastrophic for them tonight, but in an ideal world they will certainly want to get off to a good, convincing and most importantly winning start. Deschamps said in the build-up to the game that this will set the tone for the rest of the tournament, so let's hope for a thriller!
6.27pmEUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP OPENERS: Twenty-four years after hosting the inaugural match of the European Championships, France were named as hosts again and this time they were fancied to go far in the tournament. As it transpired, they went all the way, and that was largely down to the performances of one Michel Platini. The midfield maestro opened his account for the tournament in the very first game, scoring the only goal to hand the hosts a 1-0 win over Denmark - setting them on course to five wins from five en route to the trophy.
6.30pmFrance's lack of competitive football due to their automatic qualification as hosts means that they have slipped to 17th in the world rankings going into this tournament, but you can rest assured that isn't an accurate representation of their talent. They have been tipped as favourites ahead of world champions Germany and defending champions Spain for a reason, and that is as much to do with their aforementioned good form since the turn of the year as it is to do with those two sides having suffered slip-ups of late. France are the only one of the main favourites not to have had a dodgy result in the build-up to this tournament, with Germany having lost at home to Slovakia in torrential conditions and Spain being stunned by Georgia in Madrid in their most recent warm-up game.
6.33pmWhile France's own recent matches have seen them concede a few goals, they have at least picked up the results and their last warm-up game - a 3-0 win over Scotland where they scored all of their goals in a fine first-half - suggests that they are peaking at just the right time to succeed this summer. Things weren't quite as straightforward in their other warm-up match against Cameroon, when they were twice pegged back before Dimitri Payet rescued a 90th-minute victory, but again they managed to pick up the win and saw a few of their key players get on the scoresheet in the process. They have actually failed to score in five of their last eight European Championship outings, but not many people will be expecting that run to continue over the coming weeks.
6.36pmPerhaps most importantly of all, France have a very good record at home recently, winning each of their last six matches on home soil since a seven-goal thriller against Belgium over a year ago. They have scored 18 goals in those six games at an average of three per match, and have also beaten world champions Germany in that run. In all they have lost just three of their 32 competitive outings at the Stade de France too, with 21 wins in that time, while in tournament football they have won six and drawn one at this stadium.
6.39pmEUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENERS: France were also involved in the opening match of the 1992 tournament, which is one that many underdogs will be using as inspiration this summer having seen Denmark - who original didn't even qualify - stun the continent by going all the way and lifting the trophy. It all began with a 1-1 draw between Sweden and France, though, which you can relive below in gloriously 90s fashion.
6.42pmHistory dictates that the opening match of a major tournament is usually a fairly cagey and tight affair, and Romania's involvement in this one only serves to strengthen the likelihood of that happening again. Anghel Iordanescu's side boasted the best defensive record of all the qualifying nations, conceding a measly two goals in their 10 matches on their way to passing through the qualifiers unbeaten. They were one of only four teams, along with England, Austria and Italy, to do that, although half of their matches ended as draws.
6.45pmIndeed, despite remaining unbeaten, Romania didn't even top their group on their way to France, finishing one point below Northern Ireland in Group F. While their defensive record from those games is no doubt impressive, it is fair to say that they were in the easiest qualification group, and their record at the other end of the field is less encouraging. They scored just 11 times in their 10 qualifying outings, and no team managed fewer than that having played as many games. Albania did score fewer in Group F (10), but they only featured in eight qualification games.
6.48pmStrangely enough, Romania have recorded two very out-of-character results in their last two outings before this tournament, which makes them a little hard to predict tonight. Having kept things so tight at the back throughout their qualifying campaign they conceded four times in a 4-3 defeat to Ukraine, and then scored five in a 5-1 drubbing of Georgia - who themselves beat Spain in Madrid in their very next game. It means that they have scored as many goals in their last two outings as they had in their previous nine, and conceded as many as they had in their previous 15. They had kept 12 clean sheets in 16 games before the last three warm-up matches, during which they haven't kept a single one.
6.51pmThis is Romania's first appearance at a major international tournament since 2008, when they also played France in their opening match incidentally, and they go into it is good form. They aren't quite at the level of the Gheorghe Hagi era, and certainly don't have a standout star like him, but they have lost just one of their last 19 games stretching back more than two years. Nine of those matches have ended in draws, with nine wins, so it isn't as though they are sweeping teams aside, but they have developed themselves into a very tough team to beat and they would bite your hand off if you offered them a draw tonight.
6.54pmManager Anghel Iordanescu has said that the number one objective for this competition is to get out of the group stages, so a draw - or a shock victory - would be a good start for them to do that, but it won't be easy. They are third favourites, behind France and Switzerland, to progress into the knockout stages from Group A, and the new format with extra teams in the competition this year means that they will then need to win again if they are to match their best-ever showing at a major tournament, which came in the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup and then again at the Euros six years later.
6.57pmEUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENERS: Should Romania go further than that in this year's competition then it would rank alongside some of the biggest shocks in Euros history, on which note the 2004 opening game saw Portugal host Greece. Greece picking up a surprise 2-1 win thanks to goals from Karagounis and the pictured penalty from Basinas, before Ronaldo netted a late consolation. It would get worse for the hosts later in the tournament, though, as they came up against the same opposition in the final and lost 1-0 as Greece pulled off a shock that rivalled, and arguably eclipsed, that of Denmark 12 years prior.
© AFP
7pmTEAM NEWS! We have one hour until kickoff at the Stade France, and the team news is in!
FRANCE STARTING XI: Lloris; Sagna, Koscielny, Rami, Evra; Kanté, Matuidi, Pogba; Griezmann, Payet, Giroud
ROMANIA STARTING XI: Tătăruşanu; Săpunaru, Grigore, Chiricheş, Raţ; Hoban, Pintilii, Stanciu, Popa, Stancu; Andone
7.03pmWhat can we make of those teams, then? Well, we'll start with the hosts, and it isn't a bad lineup at all is it?! Didier Deschamps may be without the likes of Benzema, Varane, Sakho, Diarra, Mathieu and Debuchy, but he is still able to name a very strong starting XI that will be captained by Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris. He will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Deschamps himself, as well as Platini, in lifting a major trophy for France on home soil, and he provides a very strong base for Les Bleus to build on.
7.06pmIn front of him, though, is a defence that has been decimated by injuries and other factors in the build-up to this tournament. Adil Rami was not even part of Deschamps's original squad, but he starts today alongside Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny, who scored in the 3-0 win over Scotland last time out. Varane would ordinarily be first choice, but he misses out through injury, while Sakho and Mathieu would usually be ahead of Rami in the pecking order. Deschamps could have selected Sakho in the end after his ban for failing a drugs test was not renewed, but he opted to leave the Liverpool man behind.
7.09pmIt is the same back five that started the 3-0 win over Scotland, and Deschamps has left his midfield untouched as well. It is a trio that would grace any team in world football, with Matuidi provided the dynamism and Kante having muscled his way into the starting XI following a sensational season with Leicester City. He wouldn't have been in anyone's predicted XI a year ago, but having helped the Foxes to the Premier League title and made his international debut in the last 12 months, he is a deserved member of the team. Perhaps the star man for France, though, is Paul Pogba, with the Juventus player developing into one of the finest midfielders in world football since his departure from Manchester United. A good tournament this summer could propel him to superstardom like Platini and Zidane before him.
7.12pmThe only change from the side that beat Scotland so comfortably sees Antoine Griezmann return as expected, and even without Benzema Deschamps is spoiled for choice in the attacking areas. Anthony Martial and Kingsley Coman can't even make the starting XI, with West Ham's Dimitri Payet chosen ahead of those two having also enjoyed a brilliant campaign to work his way back into the squad. Olivier Giroud has not been in such good form at club level, but he can't stop scoring for France at the moment and netted three times in their two warm-up games so there is plenty of firepower and creativity in the forward areas, and lots more on the bench if needed for the hosts.
7.15pmRomania will need to summon all of their defensive strength to keep that lineup at bay, ideally returning to the form from their qualifying campaign rather than their warm-up games. Tatarusanu continues in goal for the visitors tonight, keeping Watford's Costel Pantilimon out of the side as he looks to keep yet another clean sheet and prove the 4-3 defeat to Ukraine in particular was an anomaly. He could well be a busy man tonight, though.
7.18pmRomania actually have the least experienced squad of any team at Euro 2016 this summer, averaging just 21.9 caps for every player in the 23-man squad. Whether that proves to be a help, with many of their players knowing no real fear at this level, or a hindrance, with the lack of experience, remains to be seen, but it is a far cry from the veterans they had in their golden era in the 1990s. Despite their lack of caps, though, it isn't the youngest of sides for Romania and there are a fair few players over the age of 30 in the squad. England, incidentally, have the second least experienced squad in the competition with 22.2 caps per player.
7.21pmOne player who the 'inexperienced' tag does not apply to is Razvan Rat, who will make his 112th appearance for his country tonight. At 35 years old he is not quite the player he once was, and he has lacked match practice at Rayo this season, but he was always expected to start tonight, particular as fellow left-back Steliano Filip has been struggling with an ankle injury. After Rat, the next most experienced player in the squad is Gabriel Torje with 50 caps, but despite also being the only one to have scored 10 or more goals for his country, he starts tonight's match on the bench.
7.24pmFans of English football were recognise the name of Vlad Chriches at the heart of the Romania defence, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man coming up against his ex teammate and captain Hugo Lloris tonight. He captains the side, but arguably the key player for the visitors tonight will be Florian Andone. The striker was struggling with a hand injury in the build-up to this match, but has recovered in time to start tonight and is likely to be their main goal threat. He impressed at club level last season, albeit with Cordoba in the Spanish second tier, where he scored 21 goals.
7.27pmEUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENERS: One thing that may give Romania hope tonight is that the host nation has not fared well in the opening games of European Championships recently. Eight years ago it was Switzerland who has the honour of opening things up at Euro 2008, but they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic courtesy of a Sverkos goal.
7.30pmWhile Romania's squad may not boast too much experience, they have no such problems on the sidelines. Anghel Iordanescu is this summer leading his country into a fourth major international tournament - which is not bad going at all considering they have only ever qualified for 11 in their history. He is currently in his third spell at the helm, the most productive of which came in the golden era of the 1990s. He led them to the 1994 and 1998 World Cups in addition to Euro 96, before returning for a rather less successful two-year spell between 2002 and 2004.
7.33pmAs a country, though, Romania have a fairly poor record at European Championships. They have won just one of their 13 previous matches in the tournament, drawing four and losing eight of those. They have failed to even score in eight of those games too, which makes their 3-2 victory over England at Euro 2000 an anomaly of a result. They have never won their opening game of the Euros either, drawing three and losing one, including two previous opening games against France (D1 L1).
7.36pmRomania are featuring in the very first game of an international tournament for the first time ever tonight, and it will be interesting to see whether that puts more pressure than normal on their shoulders. They will know that they whole of Europe is watching on, and as Deschamps himself has said, the opening game often sets the tone so their could even be pressure for Romania to change their style into one that is more pleasing for the spectators. Iordanescu himself has said that his side want to make a good impression on the tournament, so hopefully this match won't be quite as cagey as some of Romania's other recent games.
7.39pmRomania's qualifying games actually produced fewer goals than any other team to have made it to the Euros, at an average of just 1.3 per game. They were at least be hoping to improve upon their performance from their last major tournament, where they scored just one goal and were knocked out in the group stages of Euro 2008 without picking up a win. They faced France in their opening match on that occasion and that ended in a goalless draw, while these two sides also kicked their respective Euro 96 campaigns off against each other, when Christophe Dugarry's goal gave France the win.
7.42pmEUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS OPENERS: Four years ago it was the turn of Poland to open up the tournament, and 2004 champions Greece provided the opposition on that occasion. It was another relatively low-scoring affair and it ended all square, with Salpingidis cancelling out Lewandowski's opening goal.
7.45pmRomania's record in the last two major tournaments on French soil is not the best, but they have at least reached both of them. They actually made it beyond the group stages at the 1998 World Cup, going unbeaten in their three games only to lose 1-0 against Croatia in the first knockout match and crash out of the competition. At the 1984 European Championships, though, they failed to make it through to the knockout stages.
7.45pmWe're only 15 minutes away from kickoff now, and the opening ceremony is just getting underway at the Stade de France. It is a French garden setting which, from what I can gather, is full of sweets, ballet and lips.
7.48pm...and here comes a giant can-can in the middle of the stadium! Vive la Francais!
7.50pmPREDICTION: Right, as this Gallic tomfoolery continues, it's about time I made a prediction for this match! As I have already mentioned, Romania's last two results make this a little tougher, but it is hard to look past France for this game. They have such a strong squad and, with home advantage also in the favour, I am backing Didier Deschamps's side to win this one 2-0 tonight.
7.52pmDavid Guetta has now popped up and is doing his thing, so I'll continue to talk about football for a while longer. France have had the better of things in this fixture in recent years, with Romania not having beaten Les Bleus in their last 10 meetings since a 2-0 friendly victory in Bucharest way back in April 1972.
7.54pmAs I have already mentioned, though, Romania would be pretty happy with a draw from tonight's match, and four of the last five meetings between the two sides have ended all square, so it hasn't exactly been complete dominance for the French in recent meeting between the two sides.
7.54pmA blonde woman has joined David Guetta now and is singing a song that manages to rhyme the word 'together' with the word 'together' four times in a row. Who said the era of great lyrics is dead?!
7.56pmThis is more like it now! Mosaics pop up around the stadium showing the flags of the teams competing in this season's tournament as the national anthems arrive. Romania first, and then a rousing rendition of Les Marseillais.
7.58pmThe last time these two sides met was back in September 2011 in a Euro 2012 qualifier which ended in a goalless draw, although the last time they faced each other on French soil it was the hosts who ran out 2-0 winners. Both of the goals in that one came late on, though, with Loic Remy breaking the deadlock in the 83rd minute before Gourcuff doubled the advantage.
1 minKICKOFF: And we're off! The host nation get Euro 2016 underway as they look to begin their campaign with a win over Romania at the Stade de France!
1 minMatuidi has the first shot of the game in the opening seconds, but his effort bounces comfortably towards the keeper. He spills it, but there are no blue shirts around to take advantage.
3 minRomania now have their first effort of the tournament as the ball breaks to Pintilii, but his first-time half-volley from 30 yards out at least flies well off target.
4 minCHANCE! Huge chance for Romania to break the deadlock and dampen the atmosphere inside the Stade de France! A corner is flicked on to the back post when Stancu is waiting, but he fires it straight at Lloris from point-blank range! He simply had to score there!
5 minCHANCE! Another chance for the visitors from another corner as this time Andone gets in front of Giroud to flick a head goalwards, but it goes just over and lands on the roof of the net.
7 minTwo big early scares for the hosts there, and perhaps a sign of an Achilles heel already with both coming from corners. Lloris will get a lot of praise for that save, but for me it was more a terrible miss - Stancu just fired it straight at the keeper.
9 minWell, Romania haven't read the script here and they have made the brighter start to this game. A long ball finds Sapunaru down the right flank, with France slow to react, and Evra is then beaten far too easily. The resulting cross is poor, but it was too easy for the visitors to get into another good position there.
10 minBetter from France as they begin to settle into the match a little. Pogba pings a beauty of a pass out to Payet, who in turn finds Griezmann inside. He takes a touch before letting fly, but Chiriches blocks the shot and it goes out for a corner.
11 minCHANCE! France have their first clear chance of the match as the initial corner comes to nothing, but they then keep hold of the ball. Payet floats a cross in to the middle and Giroud is in a bit of space, but he steers his header wide of the target when he should have done better.
13 minPogba tries to chip a ball over the defence and Payet is a toe away from bringing it down in a good position, but he can't get it under his spell and it goes behind for a goal kick.
14 minOFF THE POST! France are inches away from breaking the deadlock here! Pogba slides a great pass out for the overlapping Sagna, who in turn plays a first-time ball into the middle. Griezmann looks to have a clear chance but he can't connect with the ball initially. Instead it bounces of Chiriches and back to Griezmann, who reacts quickly to plant a header against the post from close range.
16 minThis is a lot better from France now. They had a very shaky start and should have been behind in the opening minutes, but they have settled now and are starting to play some good football.
18 minKante just amazes me more and more every time I watch him. He always seems to be there to intercept the ball or make a tackle and I really can't recall many players who have been better than him at doing it.
20 minWell, we're 20 minutes into Euro 2016 and while we haven't had any goals so far, it has been more entertaining than many may have expected so far. Both sides have had clear chances and it is only poor finishing that means this is still 0-0.
22 minRomania have now settled back into the game after a decent spell for France, so both sides have enjoyed spells in the ascendency in this game so far. It is fairly even right now, though.
24 minThat is twice now that Evra has gone to ground and been beaten by Sapunaru far too easily, and the left-back is fortunate that he isn't penalised in his attempts to win it back having barged into the back of the Romanian defender. The referee lets it go, though.
25 minVery important contribution from Grigore as he is at full stretch to poke the ball away from Giroud, who was looking to race on to a through-ball from Rami.
27 minSHOT! Pogba looks to open the France account for this tournament as he is afforded space to turn and go for goal, letting fly from 25 yards. He tries to cut across the ball, but it flies just too high and goes over the bar.
29 minA Mexican wave is making its way around the Stade de France now, which isn't usually a good sign but this game has been fairly good so far. There has been a slight lull since Griezmann hit the post, but we have already had nine shots in this one.
31 minPintilii goes down for Romania and France eventually kick the ball out so that he can receive treatment. He seemed to land on the heel of Matuidi having been shrugged off the ball by the France midfielder, but he will be fine to continue.
32 minYELLOW CARD! The first card of Euro 2016 is shown to Chiriches, who goes into the book for a late foul on Giroud.
34 minGood football again from France as Evra flicks the ball over for Payet, but his cross is cleared away before it can reach Giroud. The hosts are looking pretty confident on the ball here, though. They don't seem to be suffering from nerves following their shaky start.
36 minCLOSE! France are close to breaking the deadlock again, and once more it is Griezmann! It is poor defending from Romania as Payet is left completely unmarked from a throw-in, getting to the byline down the right flank. He fizzes a low cross in to Griezmann, but Sapunaru gets across to get a crucial foot in and divert the ball narrowly wide.
38 minFrance have showcased some lovely build-up play at times in this first half, but all that is missing so far is the end product. They have been close on a couple of occasions, but that killer touch has just been lacking so far.
39 minRomania want a free kick right on the edge of the box after Andone got in between two French central defenders before going down having been caught by Koscielny. The referee, as he has done a few times already tonight, waves play on, but the visitors had a strong claim there.
41 minIordanescu will be relatively happy with what he has seen from his side so far. That missed chance in the opening minutes will still be weighing on his mind no doubt, but they have at least kept a clean sheet at the other end so far. France have created chances, though, which will be a concern for Romania.
43 minPayet shows more good footwork down the left flank and is eventually fouled to give the hosts a free kick in a very good crossing position...
44 minPayet himself is over it but his initial delivery is poor. Romania fail to clear their lines though and the ball almost drops for Pogba, but he can't make contact with his attempted volley.
45 minYELLOW CARD! Rat is the second name in the book tonight for a high foot on Giroud, although he only had eyes for the ball.
45+1 minThere will be two added minutes at the end of this first half.
45+2 minCHANCE! Big chance for Giroud right at the end of the half! Payet swings a corner in and Giroud is able to earn a yard on Chiriches, but he can't get above the ball and plants his firm header over the crossbar.
45+2 minHALF TIME: France 0-0 Romania
8.56pmThe referee brings an end to the first half at the Stade de France, and we're still goalless in the opening match of Euro 2016. There has been no shortage of goalmouth action, however, with both sides creating clear chances. France have been the better side having survived a shaky start, but they haven't been able to apply the finishing product so far.
8.58pmThe best chance of the match arrived after just four minutes, and it was Romania who created it when the corner was flicked on to the back post, where Stancu was waiting unmarked. He looked destined to score with the vast majority of the goal to aim at, but he fired it straight at Lloris, who made the save from point-blank range.
9pmFrance's best chance arrived 10 minutes later when Pogba opened the defence up with a pass out to Sagna, whose cross into the middle looked set to find Griezmann. The striker missed his initial effort, but the ball then bounced off Chiriches back into his path, and he nodded the second effort against the post from close range. It was not quite as clear-cut as Stancu's chance, but Griezmann will still be disappointed by his finish.
9.02pmGriezmann came close again with just under 10 minutes remaining of the half when he was found by Payet's low cross into the middle, but Sapunaru got a vital foot in at the last possible moment to steer his finish narrowly past the post. There was also a good opening for Giroud right at the end of the half, but he planted his header over the crossbar.
9.04pmRomania haven't been able to create anything of note since the opening five minutes, with one header landing on the roof of the net shortly after Stancu's glorious chance. For France, Pogba has sent a long-range strike too high, and he is one of the players who has been running the show for the hosts. Kante and Payet are also having good games for the hosts, and all that is missing so far is a goal.
46 minKICKOFF: Romania get us back underway for the second half at the Stade de France as they look to hold out for what would be a very good point.
48 minCHANCE! Big chance for Romania for break the deadlock! Stanciu lifts a clever pass over the top for his near-namesake Stancu, who is onside and able to chest the ball down. However, he is fallen backwards and can only steer his shot wide of the target, wasting a second big chance tonight.
50 minWell, Romania made a bright start to the first half and they have done so again in the second here. They have had the chances to have got a vital goal too, and despite surrendering the majority of possession they will feel as though they are very much in this game.
52 minCHANCE! Decent chance for the hosts as Payet slides a pass in to Giroud inside the box which the Arsenal man takes into his path before firing a deflected effort straight at the keeper.
54 minJust like in the first half, France are now beginning to settle into the game a bit here. Romania are playing a high line tonight, though, and I would be surprised if we don't see either Martial or Coman sooner rather than later due to their pace.
56 minCHANCE! France almost open the scoring in style, and it is Payet who is at the heart of it again. He dances his way into a crossing position before picking out Pogba racing onto to the ball, but his first time volley is kept out by the keeper!
58 minGOAL! France 1-0 Romania (Olivier Giroud)
58 minWell, he's been slated by fans of club and country at times this season, but Giroud continues his remarkable scoring form for France to open the scoring here! Payet is again the creator as he swings a cross into the middle, and Giroud beats the keeper fair and square to nod the ball home. The Stade de France erupts!
60 minHalf a chance for Andone again here as he gets in front of his man to connect with a corner, but is a difficult header and he can't steer it on target.
62 minROMANIA SUB: The visitors make the first change of the match as Andone departs to be replaced by Denis Alibec.
62 minAlmost another chance for France as Payet floats another good delivery into the box, this time from a deep free kick. Giroud somehow reaches out a leg to hook it back into the middle, but Pogba is beaten to the ball and the danger is cleared.
64 minPENALTY TO ROMANIA!
65 minGOAL! France 1-1 Romania (Bogdan Stancu, penalty)
65 minRomania level things up at the Stade de France from the penalty spot! It is madness from Evra as he trips Stanciu, getting nowhere near the bouncing ball whatsoever, and the referee takes his time before pointing to the spot. It is the right decision, and Stancu, who has missed two great chances already tonight, steps up and sends Lloris the wrong way. We're all square!
67 minFRANCE SUB: Deschamps responds to that goal by make a change immediately, bringing Kingsley Coman on for Griezmann.
69 minYELLOW CARD! Giroud is the latest player to go into the book for an aerial challenge where he led with his arm, although he did win the ball too.
72 minROMANIA SUB: Another change for the visitors here as Stanciu is replaced by Alexandru Chipciu.
74 minPayet has been dazzling at times tonight. His deliveries have usually been right on the money to cause Romania problems, and his footwork in open play has been excellent too. He's been the star of the show for the home side.
76 minLess than 15 minutes remain for France to get a win from this game, then, but this is where Romania will be relying heavily on their defensive capabilities.
77 minFRANCE SUB: Interesting change from France here as Pogba of all people makes way to be replaced by Anthony Martial. That is a sign of how well Payet and Kante have played today.
78 minYELLOW CARD! This is a yellow card all night long. Popa is the wrong side of Payet and almost rugby tackles him to the ground to stop him.
80 minSHOT! Hoban looks to make himself a national hero with an ambitious long-range strike, but it flies off target and Lloris looked to have it covered anyway.
81 minSAVE! Chance for France at the other end as Giroud tees the ball up for Martial, but he doesn't quite catch his finish right and the keeper is down to make the save.
82 minROMANIA SUB: A third and final change for Romania sees Popa replaced by Gabriel Torje.
84 minAlmost a great chance for Romania as Grigore looks unmarked from a free kick, only to miss his header completely. The linesman's flag is up, but that wasn't the most convincing piece of defending.
86 minTime is running out for France now - they have less than five minutes to find a winning goal if they are to avoid a pretty underwhelming start to their home Euros. Romania, meanwhile, are on course for a very good opening result.
89 minGOAL! France 2-1 Romania (Dimitri Payet)
89 minMagnificent. What a strike this is from Payet to surely win the match for France. He has been the best player on the park and he caps the occasion with a goal worthy of winning any game. He collects the ball just outside the box and moves it onto his left before hammering a stunning strike into the top corner. Unstoppable!
90 minThere will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.
90+2 minFRANCE SUB: You can see how much that goal meant to Payet. He is in tears as he comes off to be replaced by Moussa Sissoko, with the stadium giving him a standing ovation.
90+4 minFULL TIME: France 2-1 Romania
9.58pmOne game down, and already there is no shortage of drama! France pick up a late, late win in the Euro 2016 opener courtesy of a stunning 89th-minute strike from Payet. Olivier Giroud had opened the scoring the hosts, only for that to be cancelled out by Stancu's penalty six minutes later. Payet was the hero, though, and while they may have left it late, it is at least a winning start for Les Bleus.
10pmThat is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as France get off to a winning start in dramatic fashion! I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. Check back in tomorrow as the first full day of tournament football gets underway, and we will have coverage of it all. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
