Relief is very much the dominant feeling in France this morning after les Bleus came from behind to beat Ireland yesterday and advance to the quarter-finals of Euro 2016.
'Libérés', meaning 'freed' adorns the front page of L'Equipe above a picture of Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann celebrating the Atletico Madrid man's second goal in Lyon.
Inside Griezmann is described as “the liberator” who saved the French side from the efforts of “a valiant Ireland”.
“The France of two faces” is the headline on an analysis piece looking at how the home side’s performance changed from the first half – in which Ireland dominated – to the second where Ireland began to tire and the hosts took full advantage.
‘Le Parc OL a eu peur puis vibré lors de France - Irlande’ – the Parc Olympique Lyonnais was scared and then vibrated is the opening to an article that praises the huge noise made by just a small pocket of Irish fans and notes that they kept on singing right until the end when the team went behind.
On the front page of Le Parisien the splash reads 'Le déclic?' above a picture of Kingsley Coman and Dimitri Payet holding Griezmann aloft.
The Atletico Madrid striker is very much hailed as the hero around France after his quick-fire double and already the question is being asked as to whether he can lead the team all the way.
‘Griezmann - thank you!’ reads the headline on a reaction article while much of the analysis heaps praise on the great heart shown by the French team.
After struggling to beat Romania and Albania and drawing with Switzerland in the group stages, this French group had come in for a lot of criticism from the media and hadn’t quite captured the imagination of the locals.
However, yesterday’s comeback win seems to be turning that tide somewhat and this morning’s atmosphere is very much one of jubilation.
“You need to strap yourself in with this Bleus team,” reads the Le Parisien match report.
“It’s tense, it’s fast and seems to be constantly in fifth gear!”
Le Monde is the only French newspaper to go along the lines of the Thierry Henry handball incident in 2009 with its headline reading "A match to the tunes of revenge".
Like many, they heap praise on the Irish performance and claim Griezmann as the hero for getting France out of jail and avoiding Irish vengence.
