France looks to continue its strong start to the Euro 2016 when it takes on Albania on Wednesday.

Strong start for hosts

The host nation started its run with a nervy 2-1 win over Romania in the opener. France controlled the play throughout and eventually came out to a 1-0 lead at the start of the second half. But a controversial penalty led to a tying goal and it all seemed like France would wind up blowing its first game.

But an unexpected hero came through in the form of Dimitri Payet gave the team a late win and France is now in the driver's seat heading into its tete-a-tete with Albania.

Albania was always seen as the group minnow and did little to alter that perception in its debut, a 1-0 loss against Switzerland. The Albanians played most of the game down a man, but managed to grind out a minimal margin of defeat. They know that a win is imperative from here on out and will likely charge France's questionable defense through this one.


Player to Watch

Payet was the hero in the opener and all indications point to him being the one most likely lead the team's charge. Yet one man has yet to make his presence felt - Antoine Griezmann. France's star forward missed a crucial scoring chance in the opener and will likely be looking for some redemption. Do not count him out as the man who will turn this game.

History says...

The two teams have met six times since 1990 and France holds a record of four wins, one draw and one loss against Albania. Ironically, France has not defeated Albania since 2011 with the latter side winning the most recent game in 2015 and drawing the previous match in 2014.

Prediction

France will be on a mission to cement a spot in the next round. Expect Griezmann to score twice as France wins 4-0.

Start Time

The game kicks off at 3 p.m. EDT on Wednesday June 15. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. Those looking for streaming options can obtain them with a ESPN 3 subscription.

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