KYLIAN MBAPPE was unable to mask France’s finishing problems.
Despite returning to the team with a penalty goal – his first at the Euros – the star was unable to help his team achieve the dominant result they should have achieved, as they drew with Poland.
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Robert Lewandowski got the point from the penalty spot, meaning the French side finished second in Group D.
It is the first time since 2012 that they have not won first place in their group at a major tournament and they are now on the same side of the draw as Germany, Portugal and Spain.
Mbappé was sharp and created a lot, but once again France failed to convert the opportunities they accumulated.
The French captain returned in place of Marcus Thuram, while Antoine Griezmann – guilty of missing his two best opportunities on Friday – was replaced by Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, making his senior debut for France.
Poland were already eliminated, but managed to call Lewandowski into the starting eleven for the first time in Germany.
Despite not having scored a goal in the two games so far – the winning goal against Austria was an own goal – Les Bleus started knowing they were already in the round of 16.
Hopes of improving form in front of goal depended on how well Mbappe adapted to his mask – something a horde of photographers queued up for after the national anthems.
France got off to a shaky start.
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What was most worrying for Didier Deschamps was that, after being so solid in the first two games, his men were now wasting as many opportunities as they were conceding.
Theo Hernandez and Ousmane Dembele had early opportunities, both shooting directly at the goalkeeper, but so did Poland.
Piotr Zielinski and Kacper Urbanski tested Mike Maignan before Lewandowski, back on the pitch where he spent four years as a player a decade ago, headed wide.
Mbappe was quiet from the start, but chose his moments – as he always does.
He should have been allowed to run freely down the left after being pulled back by Nicola Zalewski, but referee Marco Guida failed to take advantage.
The talisman was also denied twice by Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, both attempts saved by Barcola before the break.
Entering the game at the end of the first half, Mbappé tried to take the initiative from the restart.
In the space of a minute, he sent a shot over the bar with his left, made a diving save with his right before rolling another wide of the far post.
While Mbappe was in the spotlight, he still needed teammate Dembele to win a penalty to score his goal.
Dembélé was brought down just inside the box by Arsenal’s Jakub Kiwior, allowing the number 10 to mark his return with his first goal in the season. summer – low to the right with the goalkeeper sent the wrong way.
There were more chances to extend the lead, Barcola saw a shot saved at the near post after a run from deep in his own half after gaining possession.
Hernandez sent another low cross into the box, with no one to hit it – more costly mistakes.
After wasting chances in Leipzig, France were cleared thanks to a VAR-backed offside decision, but the manager punished them here.
Italian referee Guida dismissed Polish protests when substitute Karol Swiderski was brought down by Dayot Upamecano, but was sent to the canvas and changed his mind.
The problems didn’t stop there. Maignan saved Lewandowski’s first attempt, but VAR pointed out that he had left the line too early.
Poland were ordered to leave again and this time, in the same place, Lewandowski did the job.
France is through, but the team that has won everything in Europe in recent years reaches the knockout stage with many problems.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
