Antoine Griezmann thanks Atleti for France win

Griezmann fired France into the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 via his second-half brace after Les Bleus had fallen a goal down inside just the second minute, and he admitted Atleti’s defence-first policy ensured he never lost belief.

“At half-time, we talked about what we were doing wrong and what we had to correct. I think we succeeded and that allowed us to overcome [Ireland],” he said after the game.

“I’m used to games with only a few goals at Atletico Madrid. If you can’t win by much of an advantage then it’s important to do so by the minimum. What counts is to have achieved the victory.

“I feel more comfortable playing in the middle, where I play for Atletico. That’s my natural position, but I’ll play wherever the coach wants me and do my best for the team.”