1984, 2000...2016? If one believes in patterns and coincidences, then this summer is France's year to win their third Euro title. For the third time in the tournament's history, Les Bleus are playing host to the quadrennial competition, and they are just two games away from making it a second victory on home soil.
Next up on the menu will be none other than familiar foes Germany - who just so happen to be the current World Cup champions. Die Mannschaft could also become the first team to win four Euro titles, and are naturally seeking to end their own 20 year wait to be crowned kings of Europe.
France, unfortunately, do not have a good head-to-head record against Germany. The last time Les Bleus beat them in a competitive match was during the 1958 World Cup, when they came out on top in a nine goal thriller (six to three). Since then, they have lost all three of their past meetings, the most recent taking place during the 2014 World Cup.
However, as hosts, Didier Deschamps's men will have even more incentive to clinch the coveted trophy on July 10th, and so far, there have been several key men who have been vital in the team's success. We will take a look at three of those players and provide some very interesting stats and facts on the star trio ahead of what will be an interesting tactical battle with Germany this Thursday.
First up is Antoine Griezmann. The relatively small, but pacey attacker mainly plays as a forward, but is occasionally deployed in midfield, and came into this tournament having won a runners-up medal with Atletico Madrid in last season's Champions League.
Griezmann, 25, has continued in the same rich vein of form so far at Euro 2016. With four goals and two assists, he has been directly involved six of France's 11 goals. This includes a brace against Ireland to salvage France during the round of 16.
And here's another amazing stat: Griezmann's four goals are the most scored at a Euro championship by any French player since Michel Platini, who netted nine times at Euro 1984.
Four goals and two assists make Griezmann the leader contender for Euro 2016's Golden Boot. Will he inspire France to win their third Euro title on July 10th?
But hot on Griezmann's heels in the race for the Golden Boot is none other than his international teammate Dimitri Payet. The West Ham man has arguably been one of the biggest revelations of this tournament, and has racked up three goals and two assists thus far.
Currently, Payet is third on the list behind Olivier Giroud. Although both players have the exact same number of goals and assists, Giroud has the better output-per-minutes ratio as the Arsenal man has played for 300 minutes versus Payet's 377.
Here's a very interesting fact about free-kick specialist Payet: two out of his three goals have come after the 89th minute or later. Germany will naturally want to keep that in mind ahead of Thursday's big game! In addition, Payet has created a whopping 21 chances in total (19 key passes plus his two assists), which is the highest of any player on his team.
Game-changer: Payet's knack for scoring very late goals were vital in France's success during the group stages - and he continues to impress at this summer's tournament
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Pogba, Payet, Griezmann, and Giroud's goals for Les Bleus against Iceland helped France to set a new record - as the first team in European championship history to head into half-time with a four goal advantage.
And finally, last, but certainly not any less important, we arrive at the third member of this key trio: Paul Pogba. It took him a while to get going, but the Juventus star finally opened his Euro account during France's 5-2 rout of debutants Iceland this past weekend.
Despite not being as prolific as Griezmann and Payet, Pogba does boast an impressive stat of his own: pass completion. So far, the in-demand midfielder has attempted 285 passes - the most of anyone on his team - and has completed 255 for a rate of 89 per cent.
Pogba may be having a "quieter" tournament as opposed to Griezmann and Payet, but his passing completion rate impressive in his own right
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So, there we have it: Griezmann, Payet, and Pogba - three of France's most influential players so far at Euro 2016. And all three will definitely be featuring in Deschamps's starting XI as Les Bleus hope to finally end their decades-long hoodoo against bogey side Germany.
What will we see from Griezmann, Payet, and Pogba in Thursday's semi-final clash agianst Germany?
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