Dimitri Payet Lights up Euro 2016 to give France Opening Day Victory Ahead Of Romania

Dimitri Payet Lights up Euro 2016 to give France Opening Day Victory Ahead Of Romania

Dimitri Payet hit a stunning 25-metre strike a minute from time to give hosts France a winning start at Euro 2016 on Friday as they beat Romania 2-1.

Payet had picked out striker Olivier Giroud for the opener before Bogdan Stancu’s penalty looked to have handed Romania a point.

However, the mercurial playmaker produced a moment of magic, not dissimilar to the days of legend Zinedine Zidane, as he smashed the ball into the top corner to ensure Les Blues got off to a flier.

French DJ David Guetta headlined an emotionally charged atmosphere at the Stade de France just seven months after the Paris attacks before kick-off.

But the hosts were slow out the blocks, with Romania missing a glorious opportunity to take the lead inside five minutes when Florin Andone flicked a corner to the back post only for Bogdan Stancu to fire at France captain Hugo Lloris from three yards.

Deschamps’s men then grew into the game as the first-half wore on and Giroud flashed a header just wide from Payet’s cross before Griezmann headed a loose ball against the bar from a narrow angle.

Stancu wasted another golden opportunity to put Romania in front just three minutes into the second-half, but he failed to hit the target on the volley after cushioning the ball on his chest.

Giroud and Paul Pogba fired straight at Ciprian Tatarusanu from Payet’s good build-up work, before the much-maligned Arsenal striker finally scored the opening goal of the competition on 57 minutes when he rose above Tatarusanu to head home Payet’s cross.

The lead lasted only eight minutes as Stancu was chopped down by Evra as he stormed into the box, with the forward picking himself up to slot past Lloris and silence the home crowd.

With time running out, Payet stepped up one more time as he cut onto his less favoured left foot before unleashing a fearsome drive into the top corner to send the stadium in raptures.