Mbappe magic seals France win

1 year ago 74

Kylian Mbappé scored 2 goals and acceptable up different for Olivier Giroud, giving France a 3-1 triumph implicit Poland and a spot successful the World Cup quarterfinals connected Sunday.

The Paris Saint-German guardant present has a tournament-leading 5 goals and the 2018 champions are wrong 3 wins of defending their title.

Robert Lewandowski scored from the punishment spot successful second-half stoppage clip for Poland.

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No state has repeated arsenic World Cup champions successful six decades — since Brazil achieved the feat by claiming consecutive trophies successful 1958 and 1962. Italy is the lone different federation to person won 2 straight, successful 1934 and 1938.

France’s quarterfinal hostile volition beryllium either England oregon Senegal.

Mbappé scored his archetypal successful the 74th infinitesimal erstwhile helium was near unmarked to blast successful a long-range changeable pursuing a counterattack. He added different successful stoppage clip erstwhile Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny could lone get a anemic mitt connected different almighty changeable from the antheral successful the No. 10.

Having besides provided 2 assists, Mbappé has easy been the astir productive subordinate successful Qatar.

Mbappé celebrated his 2nd extremity by waving his arms for the assemblage to cheer louder. Then helium hoisted himself up onto the crossbar soon aft the last whistle successful different celebratory motion successful beforehand of France’s fans.

The French squad took the pb erstwhile Mbappé threaded a walk to Giroud and the AC Milan striker rapidly slotted the shot into the acold corner. It was Giroud’s 52nd vocation planetary extremity — breaking a necktie with Thierry Henry connected France’s all-time scoring list.

After Mbappé leaped into Giroud’s arms to celebrate, pumping his fists, Giroud held up 7 fingers to the cameras — 5 connected 1 manus and 2 connected the different for “52.”

It’s each the much saccharine for Giroud due to the fact that helium wasn’t adjacent expected to beryllium a starter connected this year’s squad until Ballon d’Or victor Karim Benzema was ruled retired due to the fact that of injury. Giroud besides scored 2 goals successful France’s opening 4-1 triumph implicit Australia.

France, however, wasn't truthful definite to spell this acold erstwhile respective different apical players were ruled retired soon earlier the tourney due to the fact that of carnal issues, including midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante, cardinal defender Presnel Kimpembe, near backmost Lucas Hernandez, and guardant Christopher Nkunku are besides out.

On a record-setting nighttime for France, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris matched the nationalist squad people of 142 appearances held by Lilian Thuram.

The erstwhile defending champion to scope the quarterfinals was Brazil successful 2006 — erstwhile France bushed the South Americans earlier yet losing successful the last to Italy successful a punishment shootout.

With 2 European teams playing, determination weren’t each that galore supporters of either state wrong Al Thumama Stadium but for tiny pockets of France fans beating drums down 1 extremity and red-and-white clad spectators chanting “Polska” down the other goal. There were besides plentifulness of bare seats.

Poland again struggled to get the shot to Lewandowski, a two-time FIFA subordinate of the year.

While Lewandowski did miss wide connected 1 long-range accidental aboriginal on, helium besides gestured angrily astatine his teammates for not providing him with the ball.

Lewandwoski’s archetypal punishment effort successful the last seconds was saved but helium scored with the 2nd aft a video reappraisal ruled that Lloris near his enactment excessively early.

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