Kylian Mbappé marked his comeback at the European Championship in Germany with a goal against Poland, sporting a protective mask for his broken nose. However, his penalty conversion wasn’t sufficient to secure a victory for France on Tuesday, nor did it resolve their mounting concerns at Euro 2024 regarding Euros.scores.
Mbappé, celebrating his 56th-minute penalty, briefly removed his mask to acknowledge the French supporters. Yet, Robert Lewandowski responded with a penalty of his own in the 79th minute, after a retake was ordered. This 1-1 draw relegated France to second place in Group D, behind Austria, and positioned them in a challenging bracket alongside Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo, host nation Germany, and Spain – all major European football powers, impacting euros.scores expectations for France.
Concurrently, Austria triumphed over the Netherlands 3-2, further shaking up Group D and influencing potential euros.scores outcomes.
This result highlights a worrying trend for France: they are yet to score a goal from open play at Euro 2024. Their previous 1-0 win against Austria was due to an own goal, and they followed that with a goalless draw against the Netherlands – a match Mbappé missed due to his nose injury sustained against Austria, impacting their euros.scores potential.
Despite advancing to the knockout stage, France’s performances have been far from convincing, raising questions about their euros.scores prospects in the tougher rounds.
“I would be much more concerned if we weren’t creating chances, but there’s definitely room for improvement,” acknowledged France coach Didier Deschamps. “Perhaps some other teams have shown more, but our lack of scoring is limiting us. We are where we aimed to be, nonetheless.” The coach’s words reflect the team’s current euros.scores reality.
Mbappé returned to the starting lineup against already-eliminated Poland. His black mask, while allowing his return, visibly restricted his peripheral vision. This was evident in his play as he avoided physical duels and aerial contests, often positioning himself at the edge of the box, awaiting ball delivery. His masked play became a talking point in euros.scores discussions.
Deschamps admitted the mask presented challenges for Mbappé. “It was complicated for him. I thought he moved well with the mask, but he needs to adapt to it. When he sweats, it gets in his eyes, and he has to wipe them,” the coach explained, highlighting the practical difficulties affecting even a star player’s euros.scores contribution.
Nevertheless, Mbappé remained France’s most potent attacking threat. The penalty, earned when Ousmane Dembele was fouled, marked Mbappé’s first goal in his sixth European Championship match, encompassing four at Euro 2020 and two at Euro 2024. This was his 48th goal for France, a significant personal milestone amidst the team’s euros.scores concerns.
Mbappé played the entire match, initially as a central striker and later on the left wing, in what was another underwhelming team performance from France. As two-time European champions and 2022 World Cup runners-up, their current form is a stark contrast to expectations, raising doubts about their euros.scores trajectory.
France now faces the runner-up from Group E in the round of 16 on July 1, potentially Belgium, Romania, Slovakia, or Ukraine. The path ahead promises to be considerably more challenging, impacting France’s euros.scores ambitions.
For Poland, already out of contention, this match was likely Lewandowski’s final European Championship appearance. The 36-year-old striker concluded his Euro journey with a goal, albeit requiring two attempts to beat goalkeeper Mike Maignan with his characteristic stutter-step penalty technique, adding to the euros.scores tally of the game.
Maignan initially saved Lewandowski’s first penalty, but the save was disallowed due to Maignan stepping off his line prematurely.
Given a second chance, Lewandowski replicated his run-up and this time placed the ball into the bottom corner, securing his 83rd international goal, despite Maignan diving correctly. This dramatic penalty and retake sequence significantly shaped the euros.scores narrative of the match.
A similar scenario occurred in the World Cup against France, where Lewandowski scored on a retaken penalty against Hugo Lloris after encroachment. This pattern adds an intriguing layer to Lewandowski’s penalty record against France, and to the final euros.scores of this Euro 2024 encounter.
