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EURO 2016 – France vs Romania

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Updated: June 10, 2016
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TEAM NEWS

France coach Didier Deschamps is expected to partner Adil Rami alongside Laurent Koscielny in a defence that has been decimated by pull-outs.

Forward Kingsley Coman has been nursing a calf injury this week, but should be fit enough to be on the bench.

Romania defender Vlad Chiriches has declared himself “100%” ready after he sat out the warm-up win over Georgia.

Striker Florin Andone has overcome a hand injury, while midfielder Ovidiu Hoban is also fit after a knock.

MATCH PREVIEW

National security threats, accusations of racism, sex-tape blackmail plots involving star players, late injuries to key squad members… it is fair to say the build-up to Euro 2016 has not gone exactly to plan for France coach Didier Deschamps.

“Everything that has happened to us since the squad was announced on 12 May, honestly, even in my worst nightmares I don’t think I could have imagined it,” the World Cup and Euro 2000-winning captain bemoaned.

However, France have scored three or more goals in their last four friendlies for only the second time in their history and have won nine of their last 10 matches.

Amidst all the hullabaloo, it is easy to overlook opponents Romania. They were unbeaten in qualifying and had the stingiest defence, conceding just two goals.

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MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

  • France are unbeaten in their last 10 games against Romania (W5, D5). However, four of their last five encounters have ended in draws.
  • Romania’s last victory against France was a 2-0 friendly win in Bucharest in April 1972.
  • France and Romania’s first encounter on French soil ended in a Romanian win back in March 1967 at the Parc des Princes.
  • This will be their third encounter at a European Championship, which have all come in the group stages. The two previous games produced only one goal, France winning 1-0 in 1996 before a goalless draw in 2008.

    France

    • France have won only one of their last eight games at the European Championship (2-0 v Ukraine on 15 June 2012), drawing two and losing five.
    • They have also failed to score in five of their last eight European Championship games.
    • France won all five of their games the last time they hosted the finals back in 1984, which was also the last time the host nation won the tournament.
    • Didier Deschamps is leading France to their second major tournament as manager, after the 2014 World Cup (they were quarter-finalists). He was captain the last time France won the Euros in 2000.

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      Romania

      • Romania were knocked out in the group stages in the last time the tournament was held in France.
      • Their only victory in 13 European Championship matches came against England in June 2000 (3-2).
      • Romania have kept only one clean sheet in those 13 games (0-0 v France in June 2008).
      • They have never won their opening game at a European Championship (D3, L1).
      • In qualification for the 2016 finals their matches produced just 1.30 goals per game – the lowest of all qualifiers for Euro 2016 (scored 11, conceded two).
      • Anghel Iordanescu is taking charge of Romania at a major tournament for the fourth time after World Cup 1994, Euro 1996 and World Cup 1998. His previous best performance was reaching the quarter-finals at USA 1994.

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