France made two changes to the team that beat Romania in the opening game, starting with Anthony Martial and Kingsley Coman in place of Griezmann and Paul Pogba, while Payet started in the number 10 role. Albania were without their captain Lorik Cana who was sent-off in the last game against Switzerland.
Albania had the first chance of the game in the 13th minute when Emir Lenjani's shot from the left went over the bar. In the 36th minute, Payet's free-kick found Olivier Giroud, who put his header over the bar.
Lenjan had another chance to score in the 38th minute but his effort was blocked by Adil Rami. Albania were awarded a set-piece near the area after Patrice Evra was penalised for a high kick on Andi Lila. The resultant free-kick from Ledian Memushaj went over the bar.
France made a change during half-time, replacing the ineffective Martial for Pogba. France then started pressing forward and in the first minute of the second-half, Giroud's cross from the left was flicked on by Matuidi to Coman, who sent his header wide.
In the 51st minute, Memushaj failed to get enough power in his shot, even though his shot hit the post.
Two minutes later, France had another chance to score when Payet's cross from the left found Pogba on the far post, who volleyed the ball over the bar. Coman's effort in the 56th minute went wide off the mark.
Giroud had another chance to score in the 67th minute but his header from a Coman cross went wide. Another oppurtunity for Giroud to score came one minute later but this time his header from a Blaise Matuidi cross was denied by the crossbar.
Even right-back Bacary Sagna pushed forward to score but his volley in the 78th minute went high and wide. In the 82nd minute, substitute Griezmann failed to connect to Sagna's cross.
In the 90th minute, France finally found their breakthrough through Griezmann, who headed in Rami's cross. The final nail in the coffin came in the dying minutes of the game when Payet cut in from the left and unleashed a low shot to the bottom right corner of the net to secure France's place in the quarter-finals.
Others results: Romania 1-1 Switzerland; Russia 1-2 Slovakia
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