France have cruised into the Quarter Finals with an easy win in the Round of 16 – France v Poland clash, that saw a pair of wonder strikes from Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud secure the goal to become the outright leading goal scorer for France.
Round of 16 France v Poland Match Review
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
1′ Min An early free kick to France, fouled within 20 seconds of kick off and more surprising the free kick took less than 60 seconds to set up. Not surprising that the early chance is not taken, nor is the next one a minute later from a corner. But you get the feeling France will have many more tonight.
4′ Min Putain d’enfer. Didn’t the French learn anything from Australia’s loss to Argentina. They try and play out from the back with goalkeeper under massive pressure. Luckily Poland weren’t as sharp as Argentina.
10′ Min France are utterly dominant right now. Earning corners kicks, crosses coming in, shots at goal, the ones on target being saved by Wojciech Szczęsny. How long can they keep their wall up to France. For those interested, the Polish word for wall is Ściana.
20′ Min And for all of France’s dominance they can’t stop a Robert Lewandowski shot that is fired just wide of the posts. Despite his, and his team’s lack of World Cup goals, he is threat always.
28′ Min Not sure how France have not scored here. Giroud has a golden chance at the far post to score but pushes the ball wide. With their front four and the ball they’ve had, they should be in front by now. The longer the lack of scoring goes on, the likelihood of internal fighting on the pitch increases, and not many countries do in-fighting like France. Well, maybe Belgium at this year’s World Cup. Must be a french speaking thing. Unless it was the Flemish speaking players.
30′ Min Talking of flem/Phlegm, Robert Lewandowski gets a free kick within spitting distance of the goal for Poland down the other end, and like just about every free kick at this year’s World Cup it was a long wait that wasn’t worth it.
35′ Min In a crowded pack from a corner Olivier Giroud tries an overhead kick for a goal surrounded by defenders. A bit like the jerk on the train who persists reading a broadsheet newspaper despite being a packed carriage. Or does that not happen anymore. Well picture it anyway.
37′ Min Wow, not sure how Poland haven’t scored here. A cross is fired into the box and Piotr Zieliński fires a powerful shot that smashes French keeper Lloris in the chest, two follow up shots are cleared away by French defenders and they hold on somehow.
41′ Min Eagle-eyed linesman has noticed a chain around the neck of Jules Koundé and demanded it be removed. Wonder if that is related to Qatar’s views on lifestyle choices thinking that no man should be wearing jewelry.
43′ GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR FRANCE
Olivier Giroud becomes France’s all time leading goal scorer with the opening goal that took some time coming. One could be excused for thinking it was France with a passing sequence in the Polish half setting up for more disappointment, but no Kylian Mbappe pokes through a ball to Giroud who puts it past the Polish keeper like a man who is a record goal scorer for France.
FRANCE 1 POLAND 0
Half time whistle blows and France have a lead of 1-0 they probably deserve on the balance of play, but they’d better remember that they have yet to keep a clean sheet at this year’s World Cup. Although Poland have only score two goals.
HALF TIME – FRANCE 1 POLAND 0
47′ Min Early free kick for France right on the edge of the box on the right for France, and it appears that Antoine Griezmann is bored of providing crosses that are wasted and has a crack at goal. it’s a good one and another fine save by Wojciech Szczęsny saves the day for Poland.
55′ Min What were we saying about that Olivier Giroud overhead kick before? Giroud pulls off another one and it goes into the net. But the goal doesn’t stand as the referee had blown a foul against France after a three way collision between a French Player, a Polish player and a Polish goal keeper. Which sounds like the start of a joke, but probably WWII related so we’ll that well alone.
72′ Min Maybe it’s the ridiculous early hour in the morning, or the fact we have Mbappe, Griezmann and Rabiot in our fantasy team, or the fact we have been spoiled but three prior days of footballing drama, but we’re beginning to resent this game for the underwhelming nature of it.
75′ Min GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR FRANCE
We thank the game for dealing with our complaint as Kylian Mbappe scores a second. After Poland go close to equalising, France attack on the counter and it is Giroud who finds Dembele on the right who then provides a pass for Mbappe on the edge of the box, and Mbappe simply blasts the ball at goal and it beats everyone. Pure lava, way too hot for anyone to touch.
FRANCE 2 POLAND 0
90′ Min GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR FRANCE
Kylian Mbappe scores another quality goal and France have three. After attacking down the left, the pass comes in from Thuram, where Mbappe traps, turns and smashes the ball through the Polish defence and past the polish keeper. Just simply too good.
FRANCE 3 POLAND 0
90′ +4 Min Token chance for a consolation goal for Poland sees an overhead kick go close. He was offside anyway to ram home the point. After setting up for a corner the referee a full minute later picks up the ball and heads for the TV screen. VAR have seen a possible handball.
PENALTY TO POLAND
And Robert Lewandowski gets a chance to maintain France’s No Clean Sheets policy with the final kick of the game. He stutters, he hesitates, he hits a poor shot straight at Lloris, he wasted a chance.
But wait, he gets a second chance. The referee sees something he doesn’t like from Lloris.
Robert Lewandowski approaches the ball the same again, and this time the result is….
90′ Min GOAL FOR POLAND
Lewandowski at least kicks it away from the keeper this time and it is a goal. A picture perfect dictionary definition for consolation goal, that took two attempts.
FRANCE 3 POLAND 1
Final Score
FRANCE 3
Olivier Giroud 43′ Kylian Mbappe 75′ Kylian Mbappe 90′
POLAND 1
Robert Lewansdowski 90′ +6
HT France 1-0
Player of the Match
Antoine Griezmann or Kylian Mbappe
Points of Interest
- Is Wojciech Szczęsny the goal keeper of the World Cup up to this stage?
- Quite disappointing is the atmosphere. There seemed to be quite a few empty seats at the ground of the France v Poland ga………..um, it has been pointed out to us that the ground for the France v Poland game was at capacity and was a great spectacle worthy of this great World Cup in Qatar and thank FIFA and the Qatar organising committee for helping us make this correction (gun safety button clicks)
- Probably unpopular opinion, which wouldn’t be a first, that despite Kylian Mbappe’s involvement in three goals, he didn’t look that great at times in general play in this match. Which is scary for future oppositions when it fully clicks.
Round of 16 France v Poland Match Stats
Round of 16 France v Poland Starting Teams
FRANCE (4-2-3-1)
1 Lloris
5 Koundé
4 Varane
18 Upamecano
22 Hernández
8 Tchouaméni
14 Rabiot
11 Dembélé
7 Griezmann
10 Mbappé
9 Giroud
POLAND (4-1-4-1)
1 Szczesny
2 Cash
15 Glik
14 Kiwior
18 Bereszynsk
10 Krychowiak
13 Kaminski
20 Zielinski
19 Szymanski
24 Frankowski
9 Lewandowski
