Benzema Cetak Dua Gol Antar Prancis Ungguli Swiss 5-2
Benzema Fires Les Bleus to Rousing Victory Against Switzerland
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
Salvador (B2B) - Dua gol spektakuler yang dicetak Blerim Dzemaili dan Granit Xhaka pada 10 menit akhir laga tak menyelamatkan Swiss yang takluk 5-2 dari Prancis di pertandingan Grup E Piala Dunia 2014 di Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brasil, Sabtu pagi WIB.
Berkat kemenangan tersebut, tim besutan Didier Deschamps memastikan diri ke babak 16 besar dengan mengoleksi enam poin setelah di laga pertama Grup E menang 3-0 atas Honduras, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Gol Dzemaili, yang merupakan pemain pengganti dicetaknya dengan mengeksekusi tendangan bebas dari jarak 30 meter dan gagal diantisipasi penjaga gawang Prancis Hugo Lloris pada menit 81.
Sementara itu Xhaka mencetak gol sentuhan pertama menyongsong bola umpan dari Gokhan Inler pada menit 87.
Pun demikian, dua gol itu seolah hanya sekedar hiburan bagi Swiss, mengingat Prancis lebih dulu unggul 5-0 hingga menit 80.
Gol Prancis dicetak oleh Olivier Giroud, Blaise Matuidi, Mathieu Valbuena, Karim Benzema dan Moussa Sissoko.
Penyerang Arsenal, Giroud mencetak gol ke-100 Prancis di putaran final Piala Dunia lewat tandukan di menit 17 yang segera disusul tendangan kaki kiri Matuidi semenit berselang.
Lima menit jelang turun minum, Valbuena mencetak gol ketiga Prancis.
Kemudian di babak kedua, dua gol yang dicetak dalam waktu berjarak enam menit oleh Benzema pada menit 67 dan Sissoko menit 73 membuat Prancis jauh dari kejaran Swiss.
Gol ketiga Benzema di Piala Dunia 2014 itu, seolah membayar kegagalannya mengeksekusi penalti di babak pertama.
Benzema sebetulnya kembali menggetarkan gawang Swiss pada menit terakhir, namun wasit terlebih dahulu meniup peluit tanda pertandingan berakhir.
Yohan Cabaye yang menerima kartu kuning akan absen saat Prancis melakoni laga terakhir mereka di Grup E melawan Ekuador.
Sementara pelatih Ottmar Hitzfield bersama Swiss akan melakoni laga melawan Honduras di laga terakhir Grup E, yang akan menentukan kelolosan mereka ke babak 16 besar.
Salvador - France produced a scintillating display to rout a sorry Switzerland side 5-2 and all but secure a second-round spot at the World Cup.
Having survived a physical Honduras side in their Group E opener, Didier Deschamps´ men faced a seemingly more difficult task in Salvador, but they ran roughshod in an exhilarating display that left Ottmar Hitzfeld´s men shell-shocked.
Olivier Giroud, Blaise Matuidi and Mathieu Valbuena were all on target in a breathless opening 45 minutes in which Karim Benzema missed a penalty.
He made amends with his third goal of the tournament in the second half, before applying the assist for Moussa Sissoko to make it five.
Switzerland - who beat Ecuador 2-1 in their first pool match - were stunned by two goals in as many first-half minutes, first Giroud crashing a header past Diego Benaglio, before the goalkeeper was beaten easily by Matuidi´s shot.
Granit Xhaka had a goal ruled out for Switzerland, before Benzema - who notched a brace against Honduras - saw Benaglio save his spot-kick.
It made little difference as Valbuena capped of a wonderful counter-attack in the 40th minute to effectively end the contest by half-time.
Benzema´s close-range strike and a Sissoko effort added further gloss in the second period, before Blerim Dzemaili and Xhaka bagged late consolations.
France are now on the brink of the last 16 having taken a maximum six points, while Switzerland still have work to do in their final pool encounter with Honduras.
Switerland´s woes started early when Steve von Bergen caught a boot in the face from Giroud and had to be replaced.
And Giroud was in the thick of the action again when he put France ahead in the 17th minute.
The Arsenal striker leapt highest to thump Valbuena´s corner past Benaglio who, despite getting a full hand to the ball, could not keep the effort out.
Just a minute later France took complete control.
Benzema pounced on Valon Behrami´s poor pass before playing in Matuidi on the left of the box and he side-footed past Benaglio at the near-post, the goalkeeper perhaps beaten too easily.
