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Kylian Mbappe helped France shake off first-half jitters with two magnificent goals to launch the defending champions into the World Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 win against Poland on Sunday.
Poland stoically challenged Didier Deschamps’ side in the first half until Olivier Giroud put the favorites ahead in the 44th minute, becoming his country’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals ahead of France legend Thierry Henry.
But Mbappe stole the show after the break with two outrageous second-half goals, first firing a lightning bolt past Wojciech Szczesny in the 74th minute before doubling his tally with a sumptuous effort into the top right corner in stoppage time. .
Kylian Mbappe helped France advance to the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win against Poland
Robert Lewandowski’s late penalty gave Poland something to cheer about with the final kick of the game, although the initial saved penalty had to be retaken after Hugo Lloris was deemed off his line.
In-form France will now play England in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
sports mail has rated the performance of each player from France and Poland in what turned out to be a gripping clash at the Al Thumama Stadium.
Olivier Giroud is now France’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals ahead of Thierry Henry
FRANCE (4-2-3-1)
Goalie
Hugo Lloris – 5
High pressure nearly caught him on possession twice and he didn’t have much to do. He looked like a rare weak point in France’s strong defensive wall.
defenders
Jules Konde – 6
He defended well on the right side but offered little up front. He somehow managed to spend 43 minutes with a chain around his neck before officers intervened.
Dayot Upamecano – 6
He kept Lewandowski calm but conceded France’s late penalty. Solid enough but hardly tried one on one.
Raphael Varane led the defense well and made a crucial clearance off the line in the first half
Rafael Varane – 7
A crucial goal-line clearance to stop Kaminski kept his team in the game. He again led the back line with confidence and seems to enjoy playing for France.
youHeo Hernandez – 7
He supported dangerous man Mbappé well and blocked a shot during Poland’s penalty area pinball. Frankowski limited to very little.
midfielders
Aurelien Tchouameni – 5
He lost the midfield battle in the first half and was unfairly booked. Hooked early by Deschamps. It’s not his best afternoon.
Adrian Rabiot – 7
He did the basics well and kept the midfield going. He knows his job is to facilitate and he built a strong foundation for Mbappe, Griezmann and Giroud to thrive.
Forward
Antoine Griezmann – 8
He went on to show his importance in the Deschamps system. He excelled at driving the ball forward and making the right pass at the right time.
Ousmane Dembele lacked a leading edge in the final third, but still looked like a big threat for France.
Ousmane Dembele – 6
He threatened with rhythm but he lacked the last pass or shot on too many occasions. He finally made the killer pass to set up Mbappé’s second.
Kylian Mbappe – 9
Two goals and one asistence. Poland surprised with another unstoppable performance. It’s hard to argue against him as a player of the tournament so far.
Olivier Giroud – 8
He scored his record goal and eased the pressure after a tense first half for the French. He always takes the right positions and complements Mbappe perfectly.
substitutes
Youssouf Fofana (66′ for Tchouameni) – 5
Marcus Thuram (76′ for Giroud) – 5
Kingsley Koman (76′ for Dembélé) – 5
Axel Disasi (90′ for Koundé) – N/A
Manager
Didier Deschamps – 7
He remembered his stars and was right with the tactics. He made substitutions at the right time to hurt Poland and rest his tired players after the game was won.
Didier Deschamps got his tactic right in the second half as France pulled away from Poland
POLAND (4-2-3-1)
Goalie
Wojciech Szczesny – 6
He did nothing obviously wrong and was a solid presence for Poland between the posts in the first half. He couldn’t do anything with Mbappé’s superb brace.
defenders
Bartosz Bereszynski – 6
He provided a threat for Poland on the left flank and handled Dembélé reasonably well.
Jakub Kiwior – 5
Out of position and missing for Giroud’s first, which incited Poland’s defense to crumble. He handed in a difficult assignment this afternoon but couldn’t get it done.
Kamil Glik made plenty of big underdog tackles, but still conceded three goals.
Kamil Glick – 7
He made a handful of crucial blocks and last-minute tackles to keep Polonia in place, but struggled to keep pace late on as Cash prowled forward to chase a comeback route.
Matty Cash – 6
He treated Mbappé quite well and stayed on fire in the first half. He struggled when Mbappe shifted into fifth gear.
midfielders
Przemisław Frankowski – 6
Bad luck not coming out with an assist after putting Zielinski’s chance on a layup, but he otherwise produced very little attacking.
Sebastian Szymanski – 6
He worked hard for the team and charged at Mbappé at the last second. Good energy for the future, but not much else.
Grzegorz Krychowiak – 4
Sloppy passes gave France a couple of chances and they struggled to keep up the pace of the game in the second half.
Grzegorz Krychowiak (right) chased shadows in midfield while Antoine Griezmann (left) starred
Piotr Zielinski – 5
He wasted the chances that Poland was crying out for before kick-off. She needed to take those to surprise the world champions.
Jakub Kaminski – 7
He put on a spirited display both in defense and attack and nearly dismissed Poland up front, but cleared off the line. He could be an exciting talent for the future.
Forward
Robert Lewandowski – 5
He embarrassingly missed his first stutter penalty before scoring the second time around. He never seemed to become a hero for Poland.
substitutes
Arkadiusz Milik (64′ for Szymanski) – 5
Krystian Bielik (71′ for Kaminski) – 4
Nicola Zalewski (71′ for Krychowiak) – 4
Kamil Grosicki (87′ for Kiwior) – N/A
Jan Bednarek (87′ for Frankowski) – N/A
Manager
Czesław Michniewicz – 5
Poland came from behind in the first half but lost the tactical battle after the break. He bet too soon with the entry of Milik at 1-0.
Coach Czeslaw Michniewicz had trouble dealing tactically with France’s star striker Mbappe