Marvel Mbappe Kyls off Poland
KYLIAN Mbappe continued his supreme form in Qatar with a brace and assist to help France progress into the World Cup quarter-finals following a 3-1 win over Poland.
Mbappe produced two curled finishes in the final 15 minutes in Doha to wrap up victory for the holders after Olivier Giroud’s fine opener at the end of the first half.
Giroud’s impressive 44th-minute finish made him France’s outright top scorer with 52 goals, moving ahead of Thierry Henry.
Poland had their moments and Robert Lewandowski scored a stoppage-time consolation from the penalty spot but the night belonged to Mbappe.
It was the Paris St Germain attackers’ fourth and fifth goals of the tournament.
Captain Hugo Lloris returned in goal and made a record-equalling 142nd appearance for his national team but saw the majority of the early action down the other end of the pitch.
Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had to be alert to deny Aurelien Tchouameni and Ousmane Dembele during the opening exchanges.
Giroud slid an excellent chance wide at the back post soon after before Poland, who were playing their first knockout clash at a World Cup in 36 years, enjoyed their best spell.
Lewandowski hit a freekick into the wall and Matty Cash scuffed a shot wide, but the golden opportunity for the underdogs in Doha arrived with seven minutes of the first half remaining.
Bartosz Bereszynski’s cross found Piotr Zielinski but he fired straight at Lloris from inside the penalty area and after his follow-up effort blocked, Jakub Kaminski saw his effort poked away off the line by Raphael Varane.
With Poland still dwelling on that moment, France scented blood and Giroud provided the breakthrough with 44 minutes on the clock.
Mbappe played into the feet of Giroud, who ran away from Przemyslaw Frankowski and drilled into the ground and beyond Szczesny.
After the break it felt a matter of time before France moved through the gears and Mbappe added the decisive second goal in the 76th minute.
An Antoine Griezmann clearance turned into the perfect long ball for Giroud, who plucked it out of the sky and combined with Dembele.
In a flash Dembele had recycled the ball to Mbappe, who took a touch and whipped an effort into the roof of the net from 16 yards.
A fifth goal at this World Cup for the PSG attacker arrived soon after.
Substitute Marcus Thuram passed into Mbappe, who got in front of Arkadiusz Milik and opened up his body to curl into the top corner.
Poland were out bar the shouting, but they did have the final say on proceedings when Lewandowski scored from the penalty spot in the ninth minute of stoppage time.