Dimitri Payet hails France defending from the front at Euro 2016
Monday 20 June 2016 17:47, UK
Dimitri Payet has hailed France's tactics at Euro 2016, stressing the importance of the whole team defending from the front.
The hosts finished top of Group A after beating Albania and Romania and drawing with Switzerland, conceding only once in the process.
All four of their goals have come late in games, with two needed in stoppage-time to defeat Albania, but West Ham star Payet, who has scored twice himself, says he would rather play this way than be more open.
"We've got a good defence and it's not just the back four. We've reached a new level in defence," he said on Monday.
"These defensive efforts weigh on our freshness, but I'd rather not concede a goal and score one in the 90th minute than concede two or three and have to go and score three or four.
"Because there is not a big gap between the teams, it's hard to score three or more goals."
France will face the third-placed team from either Group C, D or E in Lyon on June 26, and Payet says he is looking forward to playing a better surface than the Stade de France, Marseille's Stade Velodrome and Lille's Pierre Mauroy.
"Because of that, we could not always play the way we wanted. But we know that in Lyon it will be better," he said.
