DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Kylian Mbappé marked his return to the European Championship with a goal against Poland, playing with a protective mask for his broken nose. However, his penalty was not enough to secure a victory for France, highlighting the team’s ongoing struggles at Euro 2024.
Mbappé, celebrating his 56th-minute penalty, briefly removed his mask in front of enthusiastic French fans. Yet, Robert Lewandowski responded with a penalty of his own in the 79th minute, leveling the score 1-1 for Poland. This draw resulted in France finishing as runners-up in Group D to Austria. Consequently, they now face a daunting path in the tournament, landing in the same bracket as Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo, host nation Germany, and Spain—all major European football powers.
Austria secured the top spot in Group D by defeating the Netherlands 3-2 in a parallel match. This result further underscored France’s offensive challenges at Euro 2024. Prior to Mbappé’s penalty, France had not scored a non-own goal in the tournament, having previously won 1-0 against Austria due to an own goal and then drawn 0-0 with the Netherlands – a game Mbappé missed due to his nose injury sustained against Austria.
While Les Bleus have advanced to the knockout stage, their performances have been far from convincing. “I would be a lot more concerned if there were no chances, but obviously there is a little bit of room for improvement,” commented France coach Didier Deschamps. “Maybe there are other teams who have given off something a bit different, but the fact we haven’t scored from open play limits our performance. We are in the position we aimed for.”
Mbappé returned to the starting lineup against Poland, who were already eliminated from Euro 2024. Wearing a black mask to protect his injury, it was evident that his peripheral vision was somewhat restricted. He appeared to avoid overly physical confrontations and aerial duels, often positioning himself at the edge of the penalty area, awaiting ball delivery.
Deschamps acknowledged the difficulties Mbappé faced, stating it was “complicated” for him. “I thought he was quite good on his feet with the mask — he needed to get used to it,” the coach noted. “But when he sweats, that sticks in his eyes and he needed to wipe his eyes.”
Despite these challenges, Mbappé remained France’s most potent attacking threat. His penalty, earned after Ousmane Dembele was fouled in the box, marked his first goal in six European Championship matches, including four at Euro 2020 and two at Euro 2024. This was also his 48th goal for the French national team.
Mbappé completed the entire match, starting centrally before shifting to the left wing, in what was another underwhelming team performance from France. As two-time European champions and the 2022 World Cup runners-up, much more is expected. France now faces the runner-up from Group E in the round of 16 on July 1, with potential opponents being Belgium, Romania, Slovakia, or Ukraine. A significantly tougher path lies ahead for the French squad as the tournament progresses.
At least France progressed beyond the group stage, unlike Poland. In what is likely his final European Championship appearance, the 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski scored a goal, albeit on his second attempt from the penalty spot against goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Maignan initially saved Lewandowski’s first penalty, but it was retaken because the goalkeeper was ruled to have moved off his line prematurely.
Lewandowski seized his second chance, using the same stutter-step approach and placing the ball into the bottom corner, despite Maignan diving correctly this time. A similar scenario occurred at the World Cup against France, where Lewandowski also scored on a retaken penalty against Hugo Lloris after encroachment. This Euro 2024 Score of 1-1 leaves France with much to ponder as they move into the knockout rounds.
AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
