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Despite a fright at the start of the match, the France team started their competition ideally by beating Australia 4-1 in their first match of the World Cup in Qatar.
The “champion’s curse”? Do not know. As in 2018, the France team started its World Cup with a victory against Australia (4-1). Olivier Giroud achieved a double which made him go down in the history of French football as co-top scorer for Les Bleus.
A series of poor performances, a cascade of injuries, a controversy over the anti-homophobia armband and finally Karim Benzema’s package at the last minute… The Blues were in a hurry to finally be able to start their World Cup and to focus on the field. Despite these circumstances, Didier Deschamps and Hugo Lloris did their best to reassure the followers.
A catastrophic start
The first minutes are however far from proving them right. The first strike of the match is Australian. Found with success full axis, Riley McGree tries his luck at thirty meters. She passes by (3e).
The reigning world champions are feverish and Australia is taking advantage of it. Launched on the right side of a long cross, Mathew Leckie eliminates Lucas Hernandez, who falls on his own and injures his knee. He is forced to forfeit for the rest of the World Cup, AFP learned from sources close to the France team.
Mathew Leckie crosses towards the far post and finds Craig Goodwin, forgotten by all, who only has to push the ball into the back of the net (9e0-1).
Spurred on by Kylian Mbappé and Théo Hernandez, who came into play in place of his brother in the left lane, the Blues tried to come back but came up against a solid Socceroos defense. It is even Australia which is close to doubling the bet. On a loss of ball from Rabiot, Duke takes his chance from 25 meters. The frame is missing by a bit (21e).
Rabiot launches the revolt
The middle of Juventus is however quickly forgiven. After a corner rejected by the Australian defense, Théo Hernandez, again, inherits the ball on the left side and deposits a center on the head of Rabiot. The ex-Parisian adjusts Mathew Ryan closely (27e1-1).
It is again “the Duke” who is at the initiative of the second goal. His pressing causes the Australian defense to lose the ball. Mbappé chases the ball for him to come face to face with the goalkeeper. He crosses at the last moment towards Giroud, who only has to push the ball into the net (32e2-1).
Giroud (35e), Dembélé (40e), Griezmann (42e) and especially Mbappé, who misses the inevitable (45e), are close to compounding the advantage. However, it is an Australian post that reminds the Blues that they are still not safe, just before half-time (45e+2).
Didier Deschamps is aware of this. His men are pushing back from the locker room, in particular with the help of crosses from the untenable Théo Hernandez. Giroud tries an acrobatic gesture on one of them (51e) but the ball flies past.
Giroud in History
Kylian Mbappé ends up finding the fault. A cross from Théo Hernandez slips into the Australian defense and ends up at the feet of Ousmane Dembélé. The Barcelonan sends a perfect center on the head of the native of Bondy (67e, 3-1). Then Olivier Giroud completes the work on a service from the Parisian, offering himself the status of co-top scorer in the history of the Blues, tied with Thierry Henry (71e4-1).
He has at least two matches left to beat him. In the meantime, mission accomplished for the Blues. With this ideal start to the competition, they take the lead in group D, taking advantage of the draw between Denmark and Tunisia. It remains to finish the job on Saturday against the “Danish Dynamite”.
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