Djorkaeff goal fires France towards quarters

Earlier, Thierry Henry had put Roger Lemerre’s side in front in the seventh minute before a 35th minute penalty by Karel Poborsky brought the Euro 96 runners up level. World champions France, who lost to the Czechs on penalties in the semi-finals four years ago, took the lead after a terrible defensive mistake by Petr Gabriel presented Arsenal striker Henry with the softest of goals.

The Sparta Prague defender scuffed an attempted back pass from 30 yards out, allowing Henry a free run on goal before sliding the ball between the legs of the advancing Pavel Srnicek. The goal followed a bright start by the Czechs who had twice threatened the French goal with a smart shot on the turn by Pavel Nedved saved by Fabien Barthez and a header by Jan Koller that went just wide.

Gabriel’s disappointing match continued when he was shown the yellow card by English referee Graham Poll for dumping Henry on his back with a clumsy challenge. He was replaced at half-time by Milan Fukal. The Czechs, winners in 1976, levelled the scores 10 minutes from the interval when Nedved went down under a challenge from Didier Deschamps right on the edge of the area in a move that began when Emmanuel Petit was caugh in possession on the half-way line. The challenge from Deschamps was just outside the box but Nedved fell inside and undoubtedly would have had a clear shot on goal had he been unimpeded.

Poll pointed straight to the spot, waving away French protests, before Benfica winger Poborsky clipped the penalty into the centre of the net as Barthez dived out of the way.

In the second half Nedved wasted a glorious chance to put the Czechs in front with Barthez making a fine save before France — 3-0 winners over Denmark in their opening match — struck on the hour. Djorkaeff played the ball through to Henry who held it up on the left of the area. Vincent Candela, a last-minute replacement for Bixente Lizarazu who injured himself in the warm-up, made a forward run and caused confusion in the box and with the Czech defence at sixes and sevens Djorkaeff came in to finish off the move helped by a slight deflection from Karel Rada. (AFP)