Giroud makes history, Mbappe stuns as France advance, but will injuries cost them the trophy?

AL THUMAMA, Qatar -- France cruised into the World Cup quarterfinals successful Qatar with Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe claiming the goals to flooded Poland in a 3-1 win. Robert Lewandowski's stoppage clip punishment -- taken doubly owed to keeper Hugo Lloris moving excessively soon to prevention the archetypal spot-kick -- was a precocious consolation for the Poles.

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Poland, who claimed a Round of 16 spot up of Mexico connected extremity difference, had nary reply to the satellite champions' attacking talents, contempt going adjacent to opening the scoring successful the first-half. But aft making a dilatory commencement to the game, France made casual enactment of the necktie successful the extremity to publication a quarterfinal necktie against either England oregon Senegal.

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

Rapid reaction

1. Giroud does it again arsenic France scope quarterfinals

Olivier Giroud is present retired connected his ain arsenic France's all-time starring goalscorer aft mounting the satellite champions connected their mode to a Round of 16 triumph against Poland. The 36-year-old AC Milan forward's first-half goal, erstwhile helium latched onto Kylian Mbappe's walk earlier hitting a left-foot changeable beyond Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny, was his 52nd for Les Bleus and moved him wide of Thierry Henry arsenic his country's astir productive goalscorer.

France person produced immoderate unthinkable attacking endowment implicit the years -- Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Nicolas Anelka, Michel Platini, Jean-Pierre Papin -- but Giroud has much than each of them, yet helium continues to combat for the designation that his achievements deserve. But adjacent though the erstwhile Arsenal and Chelsea striker is under-rated by truthful many, Deschamps knows precisely what helium brings to the France team, particularly present that Karim Benzema's wounded has ruled him retired of the tournament. Beyond his goals, Giroud brings experience, maturity, the quality to nexus play and clasp the shot up and besides provides a omniscient caput for the younger forwards astir him.

And nary substance who France look successful the past 8 -- England oregon Senegal -- Giroud volition airs arsenic large a occupation arsenic the unthinkable Mbappe. Every squad is frightened of Mbappe's gait and extremity threat, but springiness Giroud a accidental anyplace successful the punishment country and helium volition instrumentality it. Any hostile that underestimates Giroud could extremity up seeing their World Cup dreams extinguished by him.

2. France scope past eight, but injuries could halt them from winning it

Defending champions France person made it into the quarterfinals without coming adjacent to hitting apical cogwheel truthful acold successful the competition, truthful that is simply a bully motion for Didier Deschamps and his players successful that it seems determination is much to come. But possibly determination isn't and possibly each of France's injuries to cardinal players are opening to deed the team's quality to scope the heights it is susceptible of.

Deschamps was already without semipermanent absentees Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante erstwhile helium named his squad for Qatar and losing those 2 midfielders, who were cardinal figures astatine Russia 2018, was ever going to beryllium pugnacious to overcome. But to besides suffer Ballon d'Or victor Karim Benzema and full-back Lucas Hernandez aft arriving successful Qatar has wounded France adjacent harder. Benzema, for one, is irreplaceable, contempt Olivier Giroud's awesome performances arsenic his replacement. So having mislaid 2 of the world's champion midfielders and 2022's astir in-form striker, France are limping into the past eight.

They person been capable to marque it this acold without facing a apical team, but present they are astatine the concern extremity of the tournament, the injuries to their champion players volition truly statesman to bite. And it could extremity up being the quality betwixt retaining the World Cup oregon losing to the archetypal bully squad they face.

3. Poland: bully striker and keeper, but not overmuch else

Poland made it into the knockout stages for the archetypal clip since 1986 astatine this World Cup, but this gathering with France ever looked apt to awesome the extremity of the roadworthy for Czeslaw Michniewicz's team. Quite simply, Poland are thing much than a precise mean squad that happens to person a world-class striker successful Robert Lewandowski and a top-class goalkeeper successful Wojciech Szczesny.

With Barcelona's Lewandowski and Juventus keeper Szczesny, it is hard to spot Poland adjacent qualifying for the World Cup, nevermind progressing from the radical stage. So the occupation facing the Poles present is however they set to a aboriginal without Lewandowski who, astatine 34, is highly improbable to beryllium astir astatine the 2026 World Cup.

He whitethorn not adjacent marque it to the Euro 2024. Poland aren't unsocial successful relying successful 1 superstar. Wales are the aforesaid with Gareth Bale and adjacent Argentina would conflict to win astatine this World Cup without Lionel Messi. Poland is simply a large shot federation with a arrogant history, but unless they tin unearth a caller Lewandowski, the aboriginal doesn't look bright.

Player ratings

France: Hugo Lloris 7; Jules Kounde 6, Raphael Varane 7, Dayot Upamecano 7, Theo Hernandez 6; Adrien Rabiot 6, Aurelian Tchouameni 6; Ousmane Dembele 6, Antoine Griezmann 6, Olivier Giroud 8, Kylian Mbappe 9.

Subs: Youssouf Fofana 7, Kingsley Coman 6, Marcus Thuram 6, Axel Disasi 6.

Poland: Wojciech Szczesny 7; Matty Cash 7, Kamil Glik 6, Bartosz Bereszynski 6, Jakub Kiwior 6; Grzegorz Krychowiak 6, Jakub Kaminski 6, Sebastian Szymanski 6, Piotr Zielinski 6, Przemyslaw Frankowski 6; Robert Lewandowski 7.

Subs: Arkadiusz Milik 6, Krystian Bielik 6, Nicola Zalewski 6, Kamil Grosicki 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Kylian Mbappe

The France guardant present has 5 goals astatine Qatar 2022 aft bagging 2 against Poland. He looked a antithetic level to the remainder of the players connected the transportation astatine times.

WORST: Ousmane Dembele

The France winger has truthful overmuch gait and talent, but his last shot successful cardinal areas lets him down excessively often.

Highlights and notable moments

An assistance from Mbappe acceptable up Giroud for the extremity that takes the seasoned to the apical of France's all-time extremity scorers list.

Mbappe past followed up to springiness France a two-goal cushion and enactment the crippled retired of scope for the Poles.

Kylian Mbappé has present scored 16 goals successful his past 14 caps for France. Two unthinkable finishes today. 5 goals already successful this World Cup. 9 successful 11 World Cup matches overall. 33 goals successful 63 caps and helium is inactive lone 23. Just incredible!

After the match: What the players and managers said

Quotes to come...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Giroud is the oldest subordinate to people successful a World Cup knockout signifier lucifer since Cameroon's Roger Milla scored 2 goals against Colombia successful the 1990 Round of 16.

- Hugo Lloris ties Lillian Thuram for the astir appearances for the French men's elder nationalist squad (142).

- Olivier Giroud overtakes Thierry Henry for the astir goals for France's men's elder planetary squad (52).

- Kylian Mbappé (FRA): 8 vocation World Cup goals, passes Pelé for the astir by a men's subordinate successful the contention earlier turning 24 years old

- Since the 2018 World Cup Kylian Mbappé leads each players successful extremity involvements (10).

- This is Kylian Mbappé's 3rd multi-goal World Cup game. This lone players with much multi-goal World Cup games are Just Fontaine (FRA), Miroslav Klose (GER), Ronaldo (BRA), and Sandor Kocsis (HUN) - each person 4.

Up next

France: The French beforehand to the quarter-finals, and volition look the victor of England vs. Senegal.

Poland: With the loss, Lewandowski and co. are retired of the 2022 World Cup, and volition look up astatine UEFA EURO qualifiers successful the spring.