The France team had to be content with the draw (1-1) against Poland, Monday June 25 in Dortmund, during the last day of the group stage of Euro 2024.
The Blues, who scored their first goal of the competition on a penalty from Kylian Mbappé (55th), have still not scored in the game, after the narrow victory against Austria (1-0, Austrian csc) and the draw against the Netherlands (0-0). Which places the Blues in the part of the table of Germany, Spain and Portugal, which they could find in the eighth.
Despite the clear French domination, this meeting against the already eliminated Poles did not allow Didier Deschamps’ players to break free offensively.
A black mask on his face, Mbappé, hit in the nose against Austria and who had not returned to the field against the Netherlands, for a long time clashed like his teammates with a great Lukasz Skorupski, intractable in the Polish cages.
It took a penalty for a gross foul on Dembélé for the future Real Madrid player to unlock his counter, taking – finally – by default Skorupski, beaten on the wrong foot (56th). In vain: Lewandowski, also from the penalty spot, brought the Poles back to equality (79th).
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Second behind the Netherlands
Second in Group D behind Austria, the French will have to be much more inspired in the round of 16, where they will face the second of a particularly indecisive Group E, with four teams all tied with 3 points before the last day (Belgium , Romania, Slovakia or Ukraine).
However, the Blues started this meeting well, multiplying the opportunities, without managing to make them come true. A first strike from Théo Hernandez, after an overflow from Dembélé, failed to deceive Skorupski (11th). A few minutes later, Dembélé, served by a still hyperactive N’Golo Kanté, in turn failed to beat the Bologna goalkeeper (19th).
A story of penalties
Mbappé himself struggled for a long time against Skorupski (42nd, 45th, 49th, 75th), when his attempts did not fail to find the target. The scenario could even have taken a completely different turn at the break if Lewandoswki, isolated at the penalty spot, had been more precise with his head (34th), or if Maignan had not been attentive to the few Polish chances .
More incisive in the second period, the Blues were able to unlock their counter thanks to a foul on Dembélé, mowed down in the area by Polish defender Jakub Kiwior, offering Mbappé a penalty taken without trembling (56th).
Alas: around twenty minutes later, contact from Upamecano on Swiderski allowed Lewandowski to score in two stages from the penalty spot (79th), sending the Blues back to their doubts.
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