Kylian Mbappe was in another league yet again, while the ever-reliable Olivier Giroud netted a record goal, to send defending champions France into the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a 3-1 victory against Poland on Sunday.
Les Bleus, who will face either Senegal or England for a spot in the last four, had to dig deep but scored on the stroke of halftime as Giroud became the outright all-time scorer for France with 52 goals before Mbappe's 74th-minute and stoppage-time screamers sealed Poland's fate.
Poland, in the knockout stage for the first time since 1986 and looking for a first quarter-final appearance since 1982, had a huge chance in the first half but the France midfield did a great job at cutting the feeding line to Robert Lewandowski, who reduced the arrears with a twice-taken, last-second penalty.
Keeper Hugo Lloris made his 142nd appearance and is now tied with Lilian Thuram as France's most-capped player, and his experience mattered when he made a superb quick save to deny Piotr Zielinski.
3 minute readDecember 4, 202210:49 PM GMT+5:30Last Updated a min ago
Record Giroud, sublime Mbappe send France into quarter-finals with Poland win
Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Round of 16 - France v Poland - Al Thumama Stadium, Doha, Qatar - December 4, 2022 France players celebrate progressing to the quarter finals REUTERS/Matthew Childs
DOHA, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe was in another league yet again, while the ever-reliable Olivier Giroud netted a record goal, to send defending champions France into the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a 3-1 victory against Poland on Sunday.
Les Bleus, who will face either Senegal or England for a spot in the last four, had to dig deep but scored on the stroke of halftime as Giroud became the outright all-time scorer for France with 52 goals before Mbappe's 74th-minute and stoppage-time screamers sealed Poland's fate.
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Poland, in the knockout stage for the first time since 1986 and looking for a first quarter-final appearance since 1982, had a huge chance in the first half but the France midfield did a great job at cutting the feeding line to Robert Lewandowski, who reduced the arrears with a twice-taken, last-second penalty.
Keeper Hugo Lloris made his 142nd appearance and is now tied with Lilian Thuram as France's most-capped player, and his experience mattered when he made a superb quick save to deny Piotr Zielinski.
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Coach Didier Deschamps had warned that there was more to Poland than Lewandowski and he was proved right at the Al Thumama stadium as the French were at times shaky at the back.
"It's not been easy because they're a well-organised team and we had to make some positional changes at halftime," said Deschamps.
"We're a united squad and tonight the players' impeccable behaviour has been rewarded. Now we're going to spend a little bit of time with our families."
