France makes hard work of Euro 2016 opener
08:20, 11/06/2016, Saturday
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Hosts beat Group A opponents Romania 2-1 in dying minutes of tournament's first match
Euro 2016 hosts France beat Romania 2-1 in the opening match of the tournament at Stade de France in Saint-Denis late on Friday.
The first half ended 0-0 with both teams missing several opportunities to score.
In the 57th minute, West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet crossed, Arsenal target man Olivier Giroud found the net.
Romania's attacking midfielder Nicusor Sanciu equalized in the 64th minute from the penalty spot.
After a stuttering game, Payet saved Les Bleus in the dying minutes of normal time as he fired a rocket into the far corner of the net.
Saturday's fixtures:
Group A
Albania vs Switzerland at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT)
Group B
Wales vs Slovakia at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT)
England vs Russia at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT)