After stuttering through the first four games of Euro 2016, France exploded into life with a 5-2 victory over Iceland in the quarter-finals. Is it all coming together at the right time for the hosts?
As France laboured through the early stages of Euro 2016, it was tempting to wonder whether the bookmakers had misjudged the tournament favourites. Didier Deschamps' men needed late goals against Romania and Albania and they diced with disaster in the face of the Republic of Ireland, but against Iceland, finally, it came together.
France became the first team in European Championship history to hold a four-goal half-time lead as strikes from Olivier Giroud, Paul Pogba, Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann blew England's unlikely conquerors apart to set up a mouth-watering semi-final against Germany.
And while France's cause was helped by a tiring Iceland side unchanged for the fifth consecutive game, their improved display was primarily down to much-needed changes in tactics and personnel. After a slow start to the tournament, Deschamps struck upon a winning formula.
The most significant change concerned Antoine Griezmann, who was confined to the flanks in the early stages of the tournament despite scoring 32 goals in 54 appearances as Atletico Madrid's central striker last season.
Indeed, it was only after he moved to the middle that he struck his match-winning double against the Republic of Ireland, and that devastating second-half display in the last-16 convinced Deschamps to start him behind Giroud at the Stade de France.
Griezmann repaid the decision with an outstanding performance. His fine link-up play and intelligent movement made France far more cohesive as an attacking unit, and his influence in central areas was obvious for the third and fourth goals.
He provided the assist for Payet's strike from the middle of the Iceland box, and for his own he burst through the heart of Iceland's defence to latch onto Giroud's backheel. It was Griezmann at his best. The goal was beautifully taken and he created more scoring chances (five) than any other player on the pitch. Iceland's defenders found that fouling him was the only way to slow him down.
The 25-year-old had talked up his partnership with the "selfless" Giroud in the build-up to the game, and their understanding was obvious in Paris. The Arsenal striker excelled with his back to goal against Iceland, with Griezmann feeding off his flicks as he did for the winner against Ireland.
Giroud has been jeered by French fans on more than one occasion recently, but he enjoyed a far more productive evening in front of goal. His opener from Blaise Matuidi's chipped pass was clinically struck, and his second - a header from Payet's free kick - highlighted his aerial prowess.
He scored with each of his shots on goal, and he also created two scoring chances for team-mates before his second-half withdrawal. This time, he left the field to loud cheers from the home supporters.
Moussa Sissoko and Payet impressed either side of Griezmann as France threatened from all angles, and the suspension of N'Golo Kante was good news for Paul Pogba, who produced his best performance of the tournament in a deeper midfield role alongside Matuidi.
Like Giroud, the 23-year-old has had to cope with fierce criticism after struggling to live up to expectations in the early stages of the tournament. Pogba was the Euro 2016 poster boy after producing his best season yet at Juventus, and this dominant display was long overdue.
Pogba's towering header for the second goal was his headline contribution, but he also produced the threaded through pass for Giroud to set up Griezmann's strike. Opta stats showed he touched the ball more times than any other player (105), and he also completed 89 of his 95 passes.
There was a moment in the first half when he tracked back to break up an Iceland counter-attack deep in his own half, before spraying a raking 50-yard pass to Giroud. It summed up his all-encompassing influence, and his impressive display alongside Matuidi will give Deschamps a selection dilemma when Kante returns for the semi-final.
The France manager will also have a decision to make at the back, where Samuel Umtiti impressed on his first international appearance in the absence of the suspended Adil Rami. The 22-year-old has just joined Barcelona from Lyon, and his composure in possession was reflected in the statistics. He completed every one of his 77 passes, and his excellent distribution helped France build fluently from the back.
Iceland's second-half goals took some of the gloss off the result, but it still feels as though France have hit their groove at the right time. The reinvigorated hosts are now gunning for Germany. On this evidence, they'll take some beating.