But Karel Poborsky levelled from the spot after Graham Poll awarded a penalty for a foul on Pavel Nedved.

France were gifted the lead in the seventh minute courtesy of a blunder from Czech defender Petr Gabriel.

The Sparta Prague defender tried to turn a back-pass to Pavel Srnicek without looking but didn't connect cleanly and only succeeded in playing Henry clean through.

The Arsenal striker seized on the error, sped into the penalty and poked the ball past Srnicek into the bottom corner for his second goal of Euro 2000.

France made two changes from their opening match. Bixente Lizarazu, who was named on the team-sheet and warmed up with the team, didn't come out for the game. His place was taken at left-back by Vincent Candela while Arsenal's Patrick Vieira replaced Youri Djorkaeff.

The Czechs had started in positive fashion with Nedved testing Fabien Barthez with a left-foot drive from the edge of the area and Jan Koller planting a powerful header narrowly wide from Jiri Nemec's left-wing cross.

Gabriel's afternoon went from bad to worse, in the 15th minute, when he was booked for a hefty challenge on Henry on the halfway line.

Thomas Repka blocked Henry's shot on the turn and, from Emmanuel Petit's corner, Nicolas Anelka glanced a free header wide of the back-post.

Zidane opened up the Czech back-line again in the 18th minute with a deft pass to release Henry. The goalscorer looked to have bagged another as he slid the ball past Srnicek but it rolled across goal and wide.

Poborsky's weaving run down the byline teed-up a chance for Nemec but he skied the right-foot shot.

Patrick Vieira did brilliantly to control a Zidane pass on his chest, gliding into the penalty area on the right, and unleashed a fierce half-volley from a narrow angle, which Srnicek was happy to save with his fists.

Tomas Rosicky robbed Petit in French territory and found Nedved, racing through the centre of the French defence. Nedved took a touch before his legs were taken by a tackle from Didier Deschamps.

It was right on the edge of the area but referee Poll judged the foul to be inside. He pointed to the spot and Poborsky made no mistake with his right foot to level in the 35th minute.

Petit went close with a header from Zidane's free-kick but the Czechs, galvanised by the goal, almost stole the lead before the break. Poborsky crashed a right-foot drive past the post from 25 yards and was wide again with a volley from Koller's knock-down.

Srnicek made a great save in first-half stoppage time to deny Henry who was found on the right by Deschamps.