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Clinical Mbappe steers France to World Cup quarters

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DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 04: Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates after scoring the teams third goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between France and Poland at Al Thumama Stadium on December 04, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 04: Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates after scoring the teams third goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between France and Poland at Al Thumama Stadium on December 04, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Kylian Mbappe bagged a brace as Reigning champions France booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup with a 3-1 win over Poland.

Les Bleus manager Didier Deschamps brought back his big hitters after resting them in the narrow loss against Tunisia, as Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and Mbappe supported Olivier Giroud upfront.

Deschamps' charges were lively in the opening exchanges as Aurelien Tchouameni and Griezmann forced goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny into vital saves.

Poland also had their threats going forward but France carved out a clear opening on the half-hour mark from a counter-attack after Giroud latched onto a cross by Dembele unmarked at the back post but he sliced his shot wide, with the net gaping.

As the game opened up, the Poles were unfortunate not to go ahead with seven minutes left of the first stanza after Jakub Kaminiski received a rebound from a save by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from close-range but saw his effort blocker off the line by Dayot Upamecano.

Giroud eventually made up for his earlier miss for France after breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time and became Les Bleus' all-time leading goal-scorer with a well placed strike in the box after a through ball by Mbappe.

France dictated terms early in the second stanza, as the Eagles absorbed the pressure but Czeslaw Michniewicz's men were not posing any danger going forward.

Michniewicz eventually made an attacking change just after the hour-mark as Arkadiusz Milik joined Robert Lewandowski upfront, in place of Sebastian Szymanski.

However, as Poland looked to get back into the game by advancing more forward, they were caught on a counter-attack as Mbappe doubled the lead for Les Bleus in the last 16 minutes with a swerving strike towards the top corner.

Deschamps took the opportunity to introduce fresh legs in attack just after that as Giroud and Dembele made way for Marcus Thuram and Kingsley Coman.

Les Bleus continued to pin Poland in their own half and Mbappe settled the result with the third goal in stoppage after he fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner after cutting in the box.

Lewandowski scored a consolation goal for the Eagles in stoppage time from a retaken penalty after his initial spot-kick was smothered by shot-stopper Hugo Lloris after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review for a handball in the box by Upamecano. 

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