Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann Tandem Is Key to France Victory vs. Iceland

Despite Iceland’s impressive 2016 UEFA European Championship campaign so far, France will be considered favourites when the two sides meet at Stade de France in Paris on Sunday.

The hosts have only just started to warm up after their second-half recovery against the Republic of Ireland to win 2-1 at Parc Olympique Lyonnais last weekend, while the Icelanders have played out of their skins to come this far.

Lars Lagerback and Heimir Hallgrimsson’s men beat England 2-1 in Nice on Monday and will come into their clash with Les Bleus high on confidence.

As reported by ESPN FC, France’s Bacary Sagna told journalists in a pre-match press conference on Friday that Iceland “slapped England in the face” and urged his team-mates not to underestimate this weekend’s opponents.

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It's a shock, a shock for the country. A lot of people expected it to be France vs. England. They've got a big slap in the face. The criticism of the players is too much. They'll get a new coach and try to manage the pressure better.

I thought England would win because they have a young team with plenty of talent. On the other hand, I was quite happy for Iceland because they played really well. They taught England a lesson and deserve to be where they are.

We certainly do not underestimate Iceland but we belong to the best sides in Europe, we're among the favourites and we're at home. We have a status to live up to. When we see how the people in the fan zones celebrate when we score a goal, it warms our hearts. We just can't let them down.

I'm not thinking about defeat. I'm not planning to go on holiday early. I want to go all the way. We haven't practiced penalties. Because we're counting on making the difference earlier.

For a lot of people they are the surprise of the tournament, like the Leicester City of Euro 2016. But they totally deserve to be here and have shown they can beat good teams. You can't underestimate them.

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Although he possesses the stronger squad on paper, Didier Deschamps must align the right starting XI in Saint-Denis on Sunday if the French are to avoid a difficult evening.

Coming into the encounter with the pre-tournament minnows, the 47-year-old tactician is reportedly undecided over three potential formations to play.

One option for Deschamps is his tried-and-tested 4-3-3, which has not been working as well this summer as it has done in the past. Another is the 4-2-3-1 that France finished their win over Ireland playing in and then a 4-4-2 with the potential to take a diamond shape in midfield.

Laurent Cipriani/Associated Press

Whichever formation Deschamps opts for, the French coach must keep Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann as close together as possible.

Put simply, the Atletico Madrid man does not work out wide on the right any longer. In theory, it is a passable option, but in reality, Griezmann is too isolated on the wing and is too accustomed to the central role that he has made his own under Diego Simeone’s guidance at club level.

The 25-year-old is the hosts’ top scorer so far with three goals, and he netted two of those in the round-of-16 victory over Ireland.

However, without Giroud playing a key role in the build-up to chances in the second half in Lyon, Griezmann arguably would not have scored either of his efforts.

The Arsenal target man and the Atletico star are the perfect combination of a big, burly striker and a smaller, quicker supporting attacker. Up against a physical Iceland defence, marshalled by Ragnar Sigurdsson and Kari Arnason, that tandem will be vital to Les Bleus’ hopes of finding the back of the net.

Thibault Camus/Associated Press

If Deschamps starts in the 4-3-3 formation that it looks good on paper, it's a system that has not been working in reality.

Both Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi prefer to play on the left side of central midfield, meaning one immediately starts out of position, while putting Griezmann on the right and Dimitri Payet on the left means neither is in his preferred role either.

Although still not 100 per cent ideal, the 4-2-3-1 is a much better compromise. Introducing Kingsley Coman on the right, as Deschamps did at half-time against the Irish, Griezmann can move infield and play just behind Giroud.

That way, the France No. 7 can profit from the balls that his team-mate is able to knock down to him with his head and chest.

In midfield, Pogba occupying a deeper role and Matuidi playing on the left side of the pairing worked effectively against Ireland. It might not be the Juventus man’s best position, but he played it well last weekend, and his deployment there allowed the Paris Saint-Germain all-rounder to salvage his display.

Thanassis Stavrakis/Associated Press

Payet is still marooned on the left in such a formation, but with Giroud and Griezmann occupying most of Sigurdsson and Arnason’s attention, he should have more freedom than usual, and more opportunities to move inside should present themselves with the space that opens up.

The other option is a 4-4-2, which could either be flat or in a diamond, consisting of the same players that the 4-2-3-1 would comprise.

However, in such a system, Payet would be able to occupy his favoured playmaking role behind Giroud and Griezmann.

Coman would start on the right, which would mean the hosts have plenty of width still, but Matuidi on the left with Pogba deeper than ever would be far from ideal.

David Vincent/Associated Press

Unless one of Matuidi or Pogba was dropped for a player adept at playmaking from defensive midfield, such as Yohan Cabaye, the formation arguably would not work. Even with the Crystal Palace man, a lot would still depend on the midfielder deployed wide on the left.

Whatever Deschamps does, he must keep Griezmann central. Therefore, the 4-2-3-1 or the 4-4-2 look like the best options.

If Giroud and the Atletico hotshot can combine in the same way they did in the second half of the Ireland match, France should have too much for Iceland at Stade de France and should reach the semi-finals.