France reach last 16 as Mbappe's brace beats Denmark

RAS ABU ABOUD, Qatar -- France are the archetypal squad to publication their spot successful the circular of 16 astatine the 2022 World Cup aft beating Denmark 2-1 connected Sunday acknowledgment to a brace from Kylian Mbappe.

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The Paris Saint-Germain talisman opened the scoring successful the 61st minute, converting a good walk from Theo Hernandez, but the pb would past lone 7 minutes earlier Denmark centre-back Andreas Christensen equalised. The sides looked destined to stock the spoils earlier Mbappe scored his 2nd of the game, popping up astatine the backmost station connected 86 minutes to gain France each 3 points and a spot successful the knockout rounds.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid Reaction

1. France archetypal into knockout rounds arsenic Mbappe stars again

Mbappe, the Paris-born-and-bred prodigy has present scored 12 goals successful his past 14 games for France. That attacking swag, connected show against Australia and ever successful Les Bleus' backmost pocket, it was determination erstwhile again.

The large trial for France against Denmark was to spot if the midfield and the defence could beryllium arsenic beardown arsenic the attack. This was to beryllium a referendum connected Dayot Upamecano, Adrien Rabiot, Theo Hernandez and Aurelien Tchouameni, and they passed with flying colours -- for astir of the game.

The mode France controlled the Danes was precise impressive. The instrumentality of Raphael Varane was precise important, bringing calm and serenity to the backmost line, and his concern with an awesome Upamecano was excellent. The French were ascendant successful midfield, too, with Tchouameni and Rabiot being excellent, until the Juventus midfielder forgot to people Christensen, who scored Denmark's goal.

Les Bleus didn't springiness their opponents overmuch for an hr oregon so, but what outgo them, again, similar excessively often successful caller months, was acceptable pieces. They were undone by a corner. France manager Didier Deschamps admitted that they could bash much to hole for these moments, and should support them amended too.

There volition beryllium clip for that. Now, they tin absorption connected celebrating their qualification with a crippled to spare.

2. Griezmann outstanding successful caller role

Imagine being 31 years old, playing successful your 3rd World Cup and being told by your caput manager that you volition commencement successful a wholly antithetic presumption than what you person been utilized to for each your career. That's what's happened to Antoine Griezmann. The Atletico Madrid frontman has played arsenic a striker, a winger oregon a 2nd striker nether Deschamps, and present helium tin adhd a No. 8 to that list. And what an interaction helium is having truthful acold successful this World Cup.

Griezmann was outstanding against Australia and adjacent amended against Denmark. He made the crippled much fluid, playing elemental one- oregon two-touch sequences, accelerating the crippled oregon slowing it down erstwhile needed. He recovered galore balls by moving hard defensively and besides chopped retired the passing lanes successful to Christian Eriksen. His deliveries from acceptable pieces were exceptional, too.

He should person scored, uncovering himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, but blasted the shot implicit the barroom conscionable earlier the hr mark. He helium was the who recovered the shot earlier the buildup to France's archetypal goal. It was Griezmann, too, who provided the assistance for the Mbappe's lucifer winner.

This was a faultless show and impervious of not lone the endowment but besides the unthinkable shot IQ Griezmann possesses. Few of his peers would beryllium capable to marque a caller presumption their ain connected a signifier arsenic large arsenic the World Cup.

3. Denmark are inactive alive, but lone just

After Mbappe's archetypal goal, it looked similar acheronian clouds were gathering implicit Denmark erstwhile again. After the terribly mediocre show against Tunisia successful their archetypal game, which they drew 0-0, they were this clip beaten by a superior French team. Yet, they kept warring aft conceding the archetypal goal, striving to support live hopes of reaching the adjacent round.

They could person easy fixed up, but that's not their style. Instead, they kept going and caused problems for France.

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Denmark scored from a acceptable piece, situations successful which they are excellent. They created 2 large chances, from Jesper Lindstrom and Martin Braithwaite, aft 2 bully movements utilizing the fractional spaces and squaring the shot backmost successful the box.

This volition beryllium a decision pugnacious to instrumentality due to the fact that of however precocious the Danes conceded, but the players showed that determination is inactive beingness successful this team. They tin inactive suffice for the circular of 16, but they volition request the assistance of the French against Tunisia, and they volition person to bash their spot and bushed Australia arsenic well.

After what they showed successful the past 30 minutes against France, they tin inactive person anticipation of overcoming the odds.

Player ratings

France: Hugo Lloris 6, Jules Kounde 5, Raphael Varane 6, Dayot Upamecano 7, Theo Hernandez 7, Antoine Griezmann 8, Aurelien Tchouameni 6, Adrien Rabiot 6, Ousmane Dembele 6, Kylian Mbappe 8, Olivier Giroud 5

Subs: Marcus Thuram 5, Kingsley Coman 5, Ibrahima Konate 5, Youssouf Fofana 5

Denmark: Kasper Schmeichel 6, Joachim Andersen 6, Andreas Christensen 6, Victor Nelsson 4, Rasmus Kristensen 5, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg 4, Christian Eriksen 4, Joakim Maehle 4, Jesper Lindstrom 5, Andreas Cornelius 3, Mikkel Damsgaard 3

Subs: Martin Braithwaite 6, Kasper Dolberg 5, Christian Norgaard 5, Alexander Bah 4

Best and worst performers

BEST: Dayot Upamecano, France. The Bayern Munich centre-back was everywhere, truthful solid, winning each his duels, cleanable successful his passing, too. His concern with Varane is going to beryllium excellent.

WORST: Andreas Cornelius, Denmark. The FC Copenhagen striker was taken disconnected astatine half-time aft a unspeakable archetypal fractional successful which helium committed much fouls (3) than helium had shots (1) and touches successful the French container (2). He besides picked up a yellowish paper and looked similar helium could person been sent disconnected arsenic well. His squad were overmuch amended without him.

Highlights and notable moments

Just however bully has Mbappe been successful this tourney and Russia 2018?

After the match: What the players and managers said

Tchouameni: "They had beaten america doubly successful the Nations League, and we said that this time, it's the World Cup and it volition beryllium different. So we had other information and desire. It was a large show from us. Kylian is exceptional but everybody stepped up."

Deschamps: "We are successful an perfect position, we are qualified and it's precise apt that we apical the radical due to the fact that of our extremity quality compared to Australia. The archetypal nonsubjective is reached. It's ne'er easy, particularly the critics from erstwhile players and erstwhile World Cup winners ... this squad is strong, coagulated and we privation to bash large things. We person done 2 already with these 2 wins."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Mbappe's 2 goals gives him 7 successful his World Cup career. Only Pelé, besides with seven, has scored arsenic galore goals successful the contention earlier turning 24 years of age.

- With 7 goals, Mbappe passed Thierry Henry for the 2nd astir goals scored astatine a World Cup by a France men's player.

- Mbappe joins Just Fontaine (4) arsenic the lone French players with much than 1 multi-goal World Cup game.

- Mbappe's 3 game-winning goals astatine the World Cup are the astir by immoderate France men's player.

- France amended to 21-0-3 erstwhile Mbappe scores.

- France widen their unbeaten streak successful the World Cup to 9 matches, tied with Netherlands for the longest progressive streak and 4 shy of the all-time grounds held by Brazil from 1958 to 1966.

Up next

France: Les Bleus volition adjacent retired their radical signifier connected Wednesday against Tunisia, kicking disconnected astatine 10 a.m. ET astatine the Education City Stadium.

Denmark: Denmark volition instrumentality to enactment connected Wednesday astatine 10 a.m. ET, erstwhile they instrumentality connected Australia arsenic the brace quadrate disconnected to travel France done to the knockout rounds.