Karim Benzema fires Les Bleus to rousing victory (and Real Madrid ace even missed a penalty)
France scored three first-half goals against the Swiss in Salvador
- Olivier Giroud's header from a corner opened the scoring
- Blaise Matuidi scored a minute later on the counter attack
- Benzema's penalty was saved had a penalty saved by Diego Benaglio
- Mathieu Valbuena made it 3-0 with a tap-in on 40 minutes
- Benzema and Moussa Sissoko's second-half goals made it 5-0
- Swiss goals came late through Blerim Dzemaili and Granit Xhaka
- Les Bleus move to six points and the top of group E
- They next play Ecuador, who lost 2-1 to Honduras, on June 25
- France now have eight goals from their opening two games
- Benzema scored at the death but the full-time whistle had blown
Any England fans hoping their Gallic neighbours might provide a pick-me-up of sorts by succumbing to Switzerland were simply placed in a deeper state of disillusion after France produced a ferocious performance that suggested they may remain in Brazil for a good while longer.
Goals from Olivier Giroud, Blaise Matuidi, Mathieu Valbuena, Karim Benzema and Moussa Sissoko saw Ottmar Hitzfeld’s team destroyed in Salvador and promoted France to genuine title contenders.
It certainly seems a lifetime since Didier Deschamps’s side were 2-0 down to Ukraine in the play-offs for this World Cup and on the verge of missing the tournament altogether.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch Karim Benzema talk about playing under pressure
On song: Karim Benzema celebrates his third goal of the World Cup and his team's fourth in the 5-2 win
Carving up: France were irresistible with Benzema among five goal-scorers for Les Bleus
Out of reach: The power of Giroud's header proved too great for Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio
Had it covered?: Full back Ricardo Rodriguez jumps to stop the head but Benaglio's hand got the final touch
Elation: Giroud makes the most of his celebrations as he puts France up 1-0 against the Swiss
Match facts
France 4-3-3: Lloris 6.5; Debuchy 6.5, Varane 6.5, Sakho 6.5 (Koscielny 66’ 5), Evra 6.5; Sissoko 7, Cabaye 7.5, Matuidi 7.5; Valbuena 7.5 (Griezmann 82’), Giroud 8 (Pogba 63’ 6.5), Benzema 8.5
Coach: Didier Deschamps 8
Switzerland 4-2-3-1: Benaglio 5.5; Lichtsteiner 4.5, Djourou 4, Von Bergen 5 (Senderos 8’ 4), Rodriguez 5; Inler 5, Behrami 4 (Dzemaili 46’); Mehmedi 5.5, Xhaka 6, Shaqiri 5.5; Seferovic 5 (Drmic 69’ 5)
Coach: Ottmar Hitzfeld 6
MoM: Benzema
That this brilliant display came four years to the day since the French squad went on strike in South Africa throws the result into even sharper relief.
This time everything is clicking and they will win Group E, thus likely avoiding Argentina in the second round, unless something dramatic occurs. The only other time France won both their opening games at a World Cup was in 1998, and we know what happened after that.
Switzerland have long boasted a fine defensive record at World Cups but France tore them apart with a first half of pace, pressure and poise that left Hitzfeld’s players looking bewildered.
How much of that was down to Steve Von Bergen’s departure after just eight minutes with a suspected fractured cheekbone is open to speculation. What is clear is that after he was forced off to hospital, following a brutal connection with Giroud’s high boot, Switzerland developed more holes than one of their famous cheeses.
New Aston Villa defender Philippe Senderos arrived to join his ex-Arsenal team-mate Johan Djourou and both showed why they are no longer in Arsene Wenger’s ranks.
At a corner in the 17th minute a current resident of north London put France ahead. Yohan Cabaye swung across an out-swinging corner and Giroud rose unchallenged to power a header at goal. Diego Benaglio got fingers to the ball but only succeeded in diverting it over the man on the line.
Racing away: Blaise Matuidi wheels away after his slick finish for France's second goal
Taking chances: Matuidi picks up the ball on the break from Karim Benzema and finishes with aplomb
Beaten: Swiss keeper Diego Benaglio is too late as Matuidi's shot beats him at his near post
Down and out: Swiss star Xherdan Shaqiri's face tells the story as his side go 2-0 down after 18 minutes
It was France's 100th goal at a World Cup finals and reward for Deschamps in restoring Giroud to the starting line-up.
Within 13 seconds of the restart France went had their 101st. Valon Behrami played a blind pass and Benzema pounced, advancing quickly and releasing Matuidi down the left channel. The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder whipped a left-foot shot that beat Benaglio at his near post when it really shouldn’t have.
It was two goals conceded by Switzerland in 66 seconds, the same amount as they had allowed in the previous 750 minutes of World Cup action spread over eight years. In 2006 they were knocked out without letting in one.
Hitzfeld’s team did respond for a brief flicker when Admir Mehmedi ran through midfield and unleashed a low shot that Hugo LLoris could only palm to Xherdan Shaqiri. The Liverpool target was denied only by the slenderest touch by the Tottenham goalkeeper that went undetected by the officials.
Stacks on: Matuidi (centre) is swamped by his team-mates as they double their lead within a minute
Tripped: Real Madrid front man Benzema is brought down by Stefan Lichtsteiner in the corner of the penalty area
Picked it: Benaglio goes the right way to save Benzema's spot-kick
Rebound: Yohan Cabaye is first there after the save but his jumping volley only clatters into the crossbar
Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers was more alert in the 31st minute when he correctly awarded France a penalty for a clumsy challenge by Djorou on Benzema. The Real Madrid striker, who bagged two in the opening game, stepped up to take the spot-kick but was denied by Benaglio. It seemed certain Cabaye would put the rebound in as he advanced onto the falling ball but the ex-Newcastle man curiously chose to volley rather than head and crashed it against the bar.
No matter, nine minutes later France would have their third in breath-taking fashion. Switzerland had a corner but 14 seconds and four passes later the ball was in their net.
Benzema fed Raphael Varane, who produced a sublime pass to the galloping Giroud. The Arsenal striker squared it to Valbuena at the far post and the diminutive midfielder applied a finish. It was stunning stuff.
Benzema progress his golden boot chances by scoring midway through the second half. Paul Pogba, on as a substitute, sliced a lovely ball forward, Senderos hacked horribly and Benzema fired in his ninth goal in nine internationals.
Body behind it: Benaglio got his whole torso behind the spot kick to avoid going down 3-0, momentarilly
Blood bin: Defender Steve von Bergen (left) goes off bleeding from a wound near his eye
Nightmare start: Von Bergen goes down in the opening minutes of the group E clash after a collision
Piggy-back to last-16?: Mathieu Valbuena (left) jumps on Giroud after extending the lead to 3-0
Put away: Valbuena latched onto a low cross from Giroud following a slick counter-attack
On the money: Benzema scored France's fourth with this finish between Benaglio's legs
Another lovely move 20 minutes from time made it five. Benzema fed Sissoko, whose first time hit across goal whistled in. Saves from Benaglio and last-ditch clearances prevented an even bigger rout and Switzerland got two of their own late on as the French switched off.
Nine minutes from time Blerim Dzemaili fired a low free-kick through a pathetic French wall to defeat Lloris and then Granit Xhaka got another back with a superb volley. This group could come down to goal difference and those strikes could prove important.
Benzema thought he had scored a superb second with the last kick of the game after curling in from the edge of the area. He ran off celebrating but Kuipers had already blown up.
It is far from the final whistle for this exciting French side however.
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