Didier Deschamps' side qualified for the knockout stage as Group A winners, but they encountered more problems than many people expected in their first three fixtures. They looked nervy and a little disjointed in the curtain-raiser against Romania, for instance, with a moment of magic from playmaker Dimitri Payet in the 89th minute ensuring they picked up all three points after being frustrated for long periods by one of the competition's biggest underdogs.
France struggled even more against Albania in their next outing; Gianni De Biasi's charges did a fine job at holding out for 88 minutes, with late strikes from Antoine Griezmann and Payet sparing the hosts' blushes. A goalless draw in their final encounter with Switzerland was enough to send France through in first place, but it is hard to shake the feeling that Deschamps is still no closer to identifying his strongest starting XI or system.
The Republic of Ireland were one of the four third-placed sides who progressed to the round of 16 after they collected four points in Group E. A failure to beat Sweden in their opener led many Irish supporters to fear the worst, with a subsequent 3-0 defeat by Belgium leaving Martin O'Neill's charges with an uphill task to make it through to the knockouts. Nothing less than a victory would do in their final fixture against group winners Italy; although Ireland left it late before snatching the winning goal, Robbie Brady heading home Wes Hoolahan's cross in the 85th minute, it was ultimately no less than they deserved following a fine all-round performance.
France will inevitably dominate possession in Lyon on Sunday afternoon, with Deschamps' side likely to need to circulate the ball quickly to try and unseat the Republic of Ireland's low defensive block. The trickery, guile and creativity of Payet could therefore be vital in the final third, with the West Ham United playmaker capable of drawing defenders out and fashioning scoring opportunities for his team-mates. Olivier Giroud could be a decisive figure too, with the Arsenal centre-forward providing the sort of penalty-box presence that can be useful when opponents sit back close to their own goal. Ireland's game plan will be focused on keeping things tight and catching France out on the break, with set-pieces another potential area for the underdogs to exploit.
Ireland will fancy their chances the longer they can keep the match a 0-0, and it is not too difficult to envisage a scenario in which the hosts grow increasingly anxious in front of their frustrated supporters if they fail to score. It could therefore be worth betting on a draw after 90 minutes in this encounter, with France perhaps triumphing in extra time or on penalties. A straightforward win for Deschamps' charges is clearly the most likely outcome in this round of 16 tie, but the value lies in backing a more drawn-out affair.
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