Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

France1 - 1Poland

sportsmole.co.uk, 25 June 2024, 17:57
France missed out on top spot in Group D after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Poland despite Kylian Mbappe scoring his first goal at a European Championship.

Mbappe returned to the starting lineup after sitting out the goalless draw against the Netherlands due to the broken nose he sustained against Austria.

Real Madrid's star summer signing had a couple of chances to break the deadlock in the first period, but he was denied by Lukasz Skorupski on both occasions.

Mbappe finally beat the Poland goalkeeper in the 56th minute, keeping his composure from the penalty spot to fire in his first-ever goal at the European Championships.

After France's main man broke the deadlock, it was then the turn for Poland's talisman to dispatch a penalty of his own.

Robert Lewandowski saw his initial penalty saved, but replays showed Mike Maignan had left his line prematurely, presenting the Barcelona man with the chance to slot home from the retake.

France were unable to offer a response and ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils, ensuring they finish in second place in Group D with five points to their name.

Meanwhile, Austria are the surprise group winners following their stunning 3-2 victory over the Netherlands, while Poland finished bottom despite picking up a commendable point against Les Bleus.

Goalless first half in Dortmund

France began the day in second position and level on points with the Netherlands, while they had a slender one-point advantage over third-place side Austria.

Les Bleus offered their first meaningful threat in the 11th minute when AC Milan's Theo Hernandez drew a smart stop from Skorupski.

The Bologna shot-stopper was then required to make another strong save to deny Ousmane Dembele, who had slipped in by former Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante.

As the contest moved past the half-hour mark, Lewandowski was presented with the chance to break the deadlock, but he saw his header deflect off Arsenal defender William Saliba.

With the game still goalless, a masked Mbappe attempted to take responsibility in the closing stages of the first period, drawing two near-post saves from Skorupski in the space of three minutes.

Lewandowski strikes to cancel out Mbappe

After being denied in the closing stages of the first period, Mbappe threatened again in the opening stages of the second half, bending a right-foot shot towards the far post, only to see Skorupski push it away from danger.

Mbappe finally found a way past the Bologna shot-stopper when he was presented with the chance to go to the penalty spot after Dembele had been tripped by Jakub Kiwior.

The France captain stepped up to send Skorupski in one direction and the ball on the opposite side of the Poland goal.

With the quality in their squad, France would have been confident of protecting their lead to secure top spot in Group B.

However, Dayot Upamecano gifted Poland the chance to equalise after a VAR review ruled that he kicked the back of Karol Swiderski's right foot.

Lewandowski saw his initial penalty saved by Maignan, who waited for the stutter before diving low to the right to gather the ball.

But the Barcelona forward was given a reprieve after replays showed that Maignan had strayed off his line, and he ultimately made no mistake from the second spot-kick, sliding the ball home off the inside of the post.

France failed to provide any sort of meaningful response to the equaliser, ensuring Poland picked up a hard-earned point in their final outing of Euro 2024.

Man of the Match - Lukasz Skorupski

Skorupski will hold his head high after producing an impressive display against a France side stacked with attacking talent.

He made a number of crucial stops in the first period to keep his side in the contest, before finishing the game with a total of seven saves.

What next for France?

After finishing in second place, Didier Deschamps's side will face the runners-up in Group E in Dusseldorf on Monday.

As a result, France know they will be up against either Romania, Belgium, Slovakia or Ukraine, with all four teams sitting on three points following the first two rounds of matches.

Top News

23 November 2024 talksport.com Mikel Arteta left Arsenal fans confused with a much-changed starting XI to face Nottingham Forest. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has insisted Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham are best served to stay put for the time being despite being linked with moves away from the club. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has lavished praise on Mason Mount and suggested that the Englishman will be an important player for him at Old Trafford. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk St Mary's is the venue for Sunday's meeting between the Premier League's leaders and basement boys, as Liverpool take on 20th-placed Southampton in a 2pm kickoff. 23 November 2024 talksport.com Philippe Senderos played against countless Premier League legends, but one stands out as the toughest. 23 November 2024 talksport.com The second half in Chelsea's clash against Leicester City was delayed due to two officials being forced to change their roles. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Atalanta BC midfielder Ederson. 23 November 2024 talksport.com Ex-Premier League striker Darren Bent could not believe Wilfred Ndidi escaped a red card against Chelsea. 23 November 2024 talksport.com Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has explained why Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto were left out of his squad to face Leicester City. 23 November 2024 talksport.com Christopher Nkunku is unhappy with the little game time he receives at Chelsea and is considering his future, according to reports. 23 November 2024 talksport.com New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has revealed he is a huge fan of Mason Mount. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United manager Julen Lopetegui is facing a couple of critical decisions for Monday's Premier League fixture with Newcastle United at St James' Park. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Enzo Maresca has made several surprise inclusions in his Chelsea XI for Saturday's Premier League fixture at Leicester City. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe will be unable to call upon Dan Burn for Monday's Premier League clash with West Ham United at St James' Park. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hoping to win three straight Premier League games for the first time in over 12 months, Newcastle United host a troubled West Ham United at St James' Park in Monday's Premier League offering. 23 November 2024 talksport.com Brentford may have managed to seamlessly replace Ivan Toney with Bryan Mbeumo, but this might not be a long-term solution. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea are reportedly facing an anxious wait to determine the severity of Reece James' latest hamstring injury. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Arsenal have reportedly been handed a boost in the race to sign Brighton & Hove Albion forward Evan Ferguson. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane set a new Bundesliga record on Friday, eclipsing a feat previous held by Erling Haaland in the process. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Both stuck inside Serie A's drop zone and facing a season-long scrap for survival, Venezia and Lecce will meet at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on Monday evening. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Trailing their visitors by one point in the Serie A standings, Empoli will attempt to leapfrog Udinese with a win at Stadio Castellani on Monday evening. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Eyupspor vs. Caykur Rizespor (Saturday, 10.30am) Eyupspor and Caykur Rizespor will kick off round 13 of the Turkish Super Lig when they go head-to-head at Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium on Saturday. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Go Ahead Eagles vs. Almere City (Saturday, 3.30pm) Two teams who could really do with a victory kick off round 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season as Go Ahead Eagles welcome Almere City to De Adelaarshorst on Saturday afternoon. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Valencia vs. Betis (Saturday, 1.00pm) Valencia will play their first game since the devastating DANA storm struck the region when they welcome Real Betis to Mestalla for Saturday's La Liga contest. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Hellas Verona vs. Inter Milan (Saturday, 2.00pm) One of six sides within two points of the Serie A summit, reigning champions Inter Milan continue their title defence on Saturday, when they visit Hellas Verona. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk B. Leverkusen vs. Heidenheim (Saturday, 2.30pm) Xabi Alonso will hope that his Bayer Leverkusen side can return to winning ways when they welcome strugglers Heidenheim to BayArena in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign on Saturday. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lens vs. Marseille (Saturday, 4.00pm) Saturday evening will see Lens welcome Marseille to the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in one of the standout games in Ligue 1 this weekend. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Rangers vs. Dundee Utd (Saturday, 3.00pm) Rangers, aiming to build consistent form after a challenging start to the season, host Dundee United at Ibrox Stadium on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership. 23 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Moreirense and Porto return to action in the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal when they go head to head at the Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas on Sunday.