OLIVIER GIROUD has become France’s all-time leading goal-scorer in his side’s World Cup clash with Poland.
The AC Milan striker missed a sitter early on but has now passed Thierry Henry to top his country’s scoring charts by making it 1-0 against Poland.
- Start time: 3pm GMT
- Live stream/TV: BBC One/iPlayer
- France XI: Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud
- Poland XI: Szczesny, Bereszynski, Glik, Kiwior, Cash, Krychowiak, Zielinski, Szymanski, Frankowski, Kaminski, Lewandowski
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France 1-0 Poland
50. Poland need to try and find a way to get Lewandowski into the game more.
France will try and make it difficult for that to happen.
The Barcelona striker is having to get all around the pitch looking for the ball, not in areas where he can hurt France.
France 1-0 Poland
48. Griezmann takes the free kick from a wide position.
He goes for goal but Szczesny is equal to it.
Varane nearly got an awkward touch to that.
France 1-0 Poland – Bereszynski yellow card
46. More of the same is required of Poland in this half.
They will be hoping to create the number of chances they did in the first half.
Bereszynski is given a yellow card for a foul on Dembele.
Kick-off: France 1-0 Poland
Poland get the second half started.
They have it all to do.
Big 45 minutes ahead.
Inside the ground – half time analysis
SunSport’s Mark Irwin reports from Qatar:
Well we’ve just seen history being made by Olivier Giroud netting his 52nd international goal to become France’s all-time record scorer.
The veteran striker took Kylian Mbappe’s through ball on the turn to beat his former Arsenal team-mate Wojcicech Szczesny and to put the world champions on course for a potential quarter-final clash with England.
As we expected, Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have been running riot down the wings but it hasn’t all been one-way traffic.
Piotr Zielinski had a glorious opportunity to fire Poland into a 38th minute lead, but Hugo Lloris marked his own piece of French history with a terrific point-blank save before Raphael Varane cleared the follow up off the line.
Lloris is winning his 142nd cap tonight, another French national record, but there’s still plenty of work to be done before he can be certain of extending that appearance record here in Qatar.
HT: France 1-0 Poland
The tables have turned for Poland now.
No time to try and massage your goal difference in the knockout rounds of the World Cup.
Czesław Michniewicz has to rethink his tactics now as they need to find a way back into this game.
The positive for Poland is that they have created more chances in that first half than they have in the rest of the tournament.
Sadly, their chances so far have fallen to everyone bar Lewandowski.
Credit: Reuters HT: France 1-0 Poland
France lead at half time at the Al Bayt Stadium.
They have shown some defensive weakness in that first half but a moment of magic from Mbappe and Giroud separates the teams.
HT: France 1-0 Poland
The referee brings the half to a close.
We have witnessed a piece of history here.
Olivier Giroud is France’s record goalscorer.
France 1-0 Poland – Kaminski chance
45+1. As the cross comes in, it falls at the feet of Kaminski.
He gets a shot away which deflects and misses the post by inches.
Lloris was scrambling there.
France 1-0 Poland
45. Mbappe plays a neat pass through to Giroud.
He knows where the goal is as he spins and shoots.
The ball nestling into the bottom corner, clinical.
We are going to have two minutes added.
Goal – Olivier Giroud (France)
France 0-0 Poland
43. Kounde holds up play as he has to take his gold chains off.
Fortunately he is not like Mr T or we could have been here all day.
Added time has been quite a player in this tournament already.
France 0-0 Poland
41. Well Poland certainly gave France a scare there.
It should give the Poles some confidence to attack Les Bleus.
They are not made of stone and do look nervy when under pressure at the back.
Credit: AP France 0-0 Poland – Zielinski chance
39. What a chance for Poland.
The ball is cut back from the byline and Zielinski meets it on the penalty spot and puts his foot through it.
Lloris makes a great save.
The ball allows a second effort for Poland but Varane clears the ball from behind his keeper.
France 0-0 Poland
37. Corner comes in from France but Poland cannot clear the ball completely.
It drops to Giroud with his back to goal, so obviously he tries an overhead kick.
The ball loops up for Szczesny to gather but he is taken out by Dembele.
France 0-0 Poland
35. This is the best phase of play I have seen in this World Cup from Poland as they spend some time in French territory.
Aston Villa’s Matty Cash meets the ball on the edge of the box but his effort goes well wide.
Positive stuff from Poland.
France 0-0 Poland
33. Poland have a free kick after a foul by Tchouaméni which also results in a yellow card.
Lewandowski stands over the ball.
His effort is driven straight into the wall, terrible effort.
France 0-0 Poland
31. Poland have no doubt achieved their first goal.
30 minutes and no goals conceded.
Side note, pretty sure I have seen my last three Wi-Fi passwords on the back of the Polish tops.
Credit: Getty France 0-0 Poland
29. The empty seats seem to be full now.
Dembele is fed into space in the box and all he has to do is find Giroud on the back post.
The Barcelona man puts too much pace on his ball and Giroud cannot convert.
France 0-0 Poland
27. France clear the ball and manage to find Mbappe.
The speed when he gets going is just insane.
It is like the Polish defenders are wading in quick sand.
France 0-0 Poland
25. Poland are starting to get forward more.
They have looked negative in the tournament to date.
Maybe they were waiting for the knockout rounds to impress.
France 0-0 Poland
23. It seems it is Kounde’s turn to test Szczesny.
All too easy for the Juventus keeper.
Not sure if they are looking to test the Polish shot-stopper or simply cannot get closer to the goal.
Credit: Reuters France 0-0 Poland
21. Midfield could be an area where this game is won today.
Poland are dropping so deep when France have the ball that their centre midfielders have all the time in the world.
The Poles counter attack and the ball finds its way to Lewandowski who shoots from distance with Lloris at full stretch.
Not too far wide that one.
France 0-0 Poland
19. From what we have seen from Poland so far, their best bet of getting a result today is to take this to penalties.
They struggle to connect play in the final third yet again.
Poland just look disjointed when they are doing anything but defending.
France 0-0 Poland
17. Rabiot is penalised for a foul on Krychowiak.
Poland gift away possession again and France attack.
Dembele cuts inside and looks to shoot but does not connect well enough to test Szczesny.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
