Supreme Mbappe at the double as holders France end Polish dreams
FRANCE 3
Giroud 44, Mbappé 74, 90+1
POLAND 1
Lewandowski 90+9 pen
Kylian Mbappe continued his supreme form in Qatar with a brace and assist to help France progress to a World Cup quarter-finals against England with 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.
Poland had their moments and Robert Lewandowski scored a stoppage-time consolationfrom the penalty spot, but the night belonged to Mbappe.
It was the Paris St Germain attacker’s fourth and fifth goals of the tournament.
Captain Hugo Lloris made a record-equal ling 142 nd appearance for his national team, but saw the majority of the early action at Al Thumama Stadium occur down the other end of the pitch.
Raphael Varane sent an early header wide, before Kamil Glik was a whisker away from putting through his own net.
Matty Cash was tasked with trying to stop Mbappe, who looked in the mood from the off, and Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny had to be alert to deny Aurelien Tchouameni and Ousmane Dembele during the opening exchanges.
Lewandowski showed his intent with a fierce left-foot strike midway through the first half that sailed a few inches wide.
Giroud slid an excellent chance wide at the back post soon after, before Poland, playingtheir first knock-out clash at a world cup in 36 years, enjoyed their best spell of the tie.
Lewandowski hit a free-kick into the wall and Cash scuffed a shot wide, but the golden opportunity for the underdogs in do ha arrived with seven minutes of the first half remaining.
Bartosz Bereszynski’s cross found Piotr Zielinski, but he fired straight at Lloris and after his follow-up effort blocked, Jakub Kaminski saw his effort poked off the line by 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 drilled beyond Szczesny.
Giroud had the ball in the net again not long after half-time, but the whistle had already blown for a foul on Szczesny.
It felt a matter of time before France moved through the gears and Mbappe added the 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 recycled the ball to Mbappe, who took a touch and whipped an effort into the roof of the net.
His fifth goal at this World Cup arrived soon after. Marcus Thuram passed into Mbappe, who got in front of Arkadiusz Mi lik and opened up his body to curl into the top corner.
Poland were out bar the shouting, but did have the final say when Lewandowski scored from the penalty spot in the ninth minute of stoppage time. Dayot Upamecano was penalised for hand ball and Lewandowski had two bites at the cherry after his first effort – saved by Lloris – had to be retaken for an infringement as the keeper was just off his line.