France’s Kylian Mbappe scored his first European Championship goal with a penalty in the 56th minute, giving his team a 1-0 lead against Poland. However, Robert Lewandowski equalized for Poland with a penalty in the 79th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw. This means that France finishes second in Group D behind Austria and will face the runner-up from Group E in the knockout stage.
This draw marks the first time in 12 years that France has not finished at the top of their group in a major tournament under manager Didier Deschamps. Despite dominating possession, France struggled to break down Poland’s defense, with goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski making several key saves to deny Mbappe and his teammates. The French team lacked creativity and struggled to convert their chances into goals.
Poland’s late equalizer ignited the crowd at the Dortmund BVB Stadion, creating a lively atmosphere as they pushed for a victory. Deschamps continues to experiment with his lineup and tactics, leaving star forward Antoine Griezmann on the bench for this game. The team is still trying to find the right balance and chemistry in their attacking play after three group stage matches.
The result of this match means that France will face a potentially tough opponent from Group E in the next round of the tournament. With Romania, Belgium, Slovakia, and Ukraine all still in contention, the knockout stage promises to be highly competitive. France will need to regroup and improve their performance if they hope to advance deep into the competition and defend their status as one of the favorites to win the European Championship.
