Record-Breaker Giroud & Mbappe Sends France To WC Last 8
05 December, 2022
France's new all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe were on target as the reigning world champions defeated Poland 3-1 to advance to the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
2022 FIFA World Cup
Result: France 3-1 Poland
Date: 04 December 2022
Venue: Al Thumama Stadium
The regulars returned to the Les Blues line-up after the loss to Tunisia, as Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud started in the attack.
The French had the first real opening after just four minutes when Varane rose highets to meet Griezmann's corner, but his sailed of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny's goal.
Lewandowski gave France a scare after 18 minutes as he shrugged off one challenge from 20 yard out before unleashing a strike that sailed just wide of the target. The world champions should have taken the lead ten minutes later Dembele broke down the right and sent a low cross to the far post that Giroud, who sliced his effort wide of the mark.
France eventually got the breakthrough two minutes before the halftime break as Giroud became France's all-time leading scorer with 52 goals by collecting a pass from Mbappe before firing into the bottom corner.
The lead was nearly doubled ten minutes into the halftime break when Mbappe cut in from the left flank and tried his luck from distance, with his shot deflecting inches wide of the upright.
Poland responded with a change on 64 minutes as Arkadiusz Milik come on for Sebastian Szymanski, while France withdrew Aurélien Tchouaméni for Youssouf Fofana a minute later.
However, it was France who got the next goal as Mbappe got his fourth of the tournament after collecting a pass from Dembele before rifling the ball beyond Szczesny from just inside the box.
Poland were unable to find a way back into the contest in the latter stages of the first half, with French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris barely having to make a save on the night.
The world champions were not done there as Mbappe bagged his second goal and his side's third on the night in second-half stoppage time with a superb finish into the corner.
Poland had the chance to get a consolation in the final moments after being awarded a penalty, with Lewandowski converting after he was forced to re-take but France had done enough to seal their spot in the quarter-finals.
Source: www.bbc.com
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