Didier Deschamps did not surprise anyone with his starting eleven, with Martial being benched, allowing Dimitri Payet to start. The West Ham midfielder offers a little more dynamism on the flanks – it wasn’t easy to comprehend.
But when Deschamps brought Pogba off in the second half, knowing that his side was under pressure to win, question marks were raised. Pogba was a player capable of changing football matches with one move – exactly the sort of player they needed on the pitch.
Instead, Deschamps opted to push Payet to a more central position, with Martial coming on to feature on the flanks. Minutes later, the 29 year-old fired a sensational left-footed strike to effectively seal the winner in a nervy Euro 2016 opener.
What a player, what a goal. Dimitri Payet, ladies and gentlemen!
¡PAYET! https://t.co/Mw1v47CLEg
— Rompe Redes (@RompeRedes1) June 10, 2016
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