Doha (Qatar): France and England Sunday moved to FIFA World Cup 2022 Quarters after defeating their rivals Poland and Senegal in the knockout round.
France defeated Poland by 3-1 whereas England stormed into last 8 after an emphatic 3-0 win over Senegal.
Defending champions France eased to a comfortable 3-1 win over Poland Sunday to make it to the Quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup.
On Sunday at the Al Thumama Stadium, a brace from Kylian Mbappe and a record-breaking goal from Olivier Giroud helped Didier Deschamps' team's cause.
Poland's Robert Lewandowski managed to get a consolation strike in injury stoppage time from the penalty spot.
Giroud (44th minute) scored just before half-time to open the door, and Mbappe (74 and 90'+1) marched through it with two scorchers in the second half. Lewandowski (90+9) scored in the ninth minute of stoppage time to salvage some pride.
Poland, in the knockout stage for the first time since 1986 and looking for a first quarterfinal appearance since 1982, was the better team in the first half but could not convert their chances in the first while France managed to latch on to the chance to score with a minute left for the first half.
France's goal-scoring move started with Dayot Upamecano, who gave the ball to Mbappe, 25 yards out in the inside-left channel. He threaded it down the side to Giroud, who essayed a left-footed drive across Wojciech Szczesny and into the corner.
It was Giroud's 52nd goal for Les Bleus, which puts him one ahead of Thierry Henry and etched his name into the France history books as the all-time top scorer for the Les Blues.
The Milan striker had equalled Henry's 51-goal record with a brace in a 4-1 win over Australia in his nation's World Cup opener, leaving him one shy of the outright benchmark.
The former Chelsea and Arsenal striker would likely have not started for Deschamps' side if it had not been for pre-tournament injuries to Karim Benzema and Christopher Nkunku.
Earlier, Poland had a huge chance in the first half but France's midfield did a great job at cutting the feeding line to star striker Robert Lewandowski and the defense withstood the challenge.
The Poles had three chances in the space of five seconds. French keeper Hugo Lloris making his 142nd appearance, now tied with Lilian Thuram as France's most-capped player made his experience matter when he made a superb quick save to deny Piotr Zielinski.
Bartosz Bereszynski played a neat one-two with Przemyslaw Frankowski, aided by smart off-the-ball movement from Lewandowski, and got round the back on the left. His cutback deflected invitingly towards the onrushing Zielinski, who smashed a shot straight at Hugo Lloris's left thigh from about 13 yards.
Zielinski's follow-up was blocked by Hernandez, and then the second follow-up from Kaminski was cleared off the line by Raphael Varane. Zielinski's was the big chance, and he should have scored. He sweet-spotted it, sure, but it was straight at Lloris.
In the second half, France were definitely the better team and the two goals from Mbappe took the game away from Poland.
Giroud, the scorer of the first goal, had a hand in the second goal too, producing the most glorious first touch to kill an up-and-under clearance from Hernandez, then gave the ball to Dembele on the right. He cut inside and slid the ball across to Mbappe, in space on the other side of the area. Mbappe moved inside, shaped to shoot across the goal and then blistered a rising drive past Szczesny at the near post to notch his fourth goal of the tournament, 2-0.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward added a second to his name with a late effort to make it goal number five of the tournament.
Mbappe was in a similar position to the first goal when he received a pass from Marcus Thuram and smashed a curler towards the far top corner with Szczesny getting a touch but couldn't keep it out, 3-0.
Barcelona striker Lewandowski stroked home a retaken 99th-minute consolation from the penalty spot (3-1) -- after Lloris moved off his line too quickly in saving the first effort. The Poles are now winless in their last eight meetings against France.
A goal apiece from Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka helped England to an impressive 3-0 win over African champions Senegal and move into the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup.
On Sunday at the Al Bayt Stadium, Gareth Southgate's side went into the half time break leading 2-0, opening the scoring in the 38th minute and adding a second in injury stoppage time of the opening session.
England netted a third one 13 minutes into the second half to take the game away from Aliou Cisse's side and set up a quarter-final clash with France, which earlier on Sunday defeated Poland 3-1.
England made just one change for the game as Bukayo Saka was preferred in attack to three-goal scoring Marcus Rashford, while Raheem Sterling was unavailable for England, as he was dealing with some family issues back home. Saka, who netted a brace against Iran, was rested against Wales, where Rashford also scored twice in a 3-0 victory. Southgate also preferred to retain Phil Foden and Henderson in the side.
Both teams were rather circumspect at the start, but once the nerves wore off they elected to be more positive. Senegal, for certain periods of the first half, looked to be the more threatening as they sent in attack after attack.
Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal, without their injured superstar Sadio Mane, will lament missing big chances from Ismaila Sarr and Bouyale Dia when the score was 0-0.
England seemed to be temporarily on the back foot in the face of the growing pressure from Senegal very early in the first half.
The African champions kept to a higher line, but the European side were well placed for a counter when the opportunity presented itself.
England looked primed for the counter whenever Senegal afforded them a chance, making their two opportunities count to giving them a decent lead going into the half time break.
Southgate boys opened the doors of the Senegal defence with Bellingham making a strong run into the box on the left side, Kane sent in a pass to the midfielder, who coolly slotted the ball past Edouardo Mendy and into the net.
England added a second one three minutes into injury stoppage time with Kane's right footed shot from inside the box to the centre of the goal ending in the back of the nets, after set up by Phil Foden following a fast break.
England doubled the lead in a move which started from their own half, went on a blistering run towards the Senegal goal, closed in, spotted Foden on his left side, with Kane not too far on his right. The Manchester City forward seeing Kane peeling away from his marker sends in a quick pass with the last named player able to get enough space inside of the box to send in a powerful shot at the net, with Mendy having no chance of stopping it.
For Kane, the Golden Boot winner at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with six goals, it was his first goal in Qatar's World Cup and one which took him within one goal away from Wayne Rooney's England record 53 goals.
The Tottenham forward was in fine form at Al Khor Stadium along with teenager Bellingham who had played a starring role in the first two goals, and Foden, who had two assists.
Senegal have made three substitutions at the start of the second half with Papa Gueye, Cheikh Dieng, Papa Sarr coming on in place of Ndiaye, Ciss and Diata with England going unchanged into the second half.
England put the issue beyond doubt with Saka's left footed shot from the centre of the box of a move by Foden effectively dismissing their slim hopes of fighting back in the second half.
England and France have met twice before at the World Cup, both in group games which England won 2-0 en route to the 1966 title and 3-1 in 1982 and thus France will be looking for a positive result when the two meet on Sunday December 10 at Al Bayt Stadium.
Two other teams, Netherlands and Argentina which have already qualified, on Saturday, for the last-eight stage will clash on December 9 at Lusail Stadium.
Two more teams will join the already qualified four after Monday's clashes between Portugal vs Switzerland and Spain vs Morocco.
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