Qatar 2022: Olivier Giroud nets winner as France beat England to reach back to back semi-finals
Olivier Giroud scored the winner as France recorded a 2-1 victory over England to reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.
Harry Kane’s early second-half penalty cancelled out the opener from Aurelien Tchouameni to leave the two sides level, but Giroud’s header in the 78th minute proved to be the difference between the two sides.
England had a golden chance to level the scores in the 84th minute from another Kane penalty, but the Three Lions captain fired over the crossbar, and France held on to advance to the final four.
The reigning world champions will face Morocco in the semi-finals of the competition on Wednesday, while Tuesday’s last-four contest will see Argentina take on Croatia.
The first opportunity of the match came for France in the 11th minute when Antoine Griezmann delivered a cross onto the head of Giroud, but England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford kept out the striker’s effort.
France had another half-chance in the 15th minute when Jordan Henderson had his pocket picked by Adrien Rabiot, who then found Kylian Mbappe, but the attacker’s cross towards Ousmane Dembele was just too strong, with the Three Lions surviving a dangerous moment.
The Blues took the lead in the 17th minute of the contest when Tchouameni found space outside the England box before drilling an unstoppable effort into the bottom corner; Jude Bellingham came out to face the Real Madrid midfielder, but it went through his legs, and Pickford just could not get across.
England had claimed a foul on Bukayo Saka from Dayot Upamecano earlier in the attacking move, but the goal was allowed to stand.
Luke Shaw struck a free kick into the arms of France stopper Hugo Lloris in the 20th minute, before the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper denied club teammate Kane from inside the box; France then dealt with the high ball that was delivered towards the far post in the next move.
Kane had a strong shout for a penalty in the 25th minute when he went down inside the box under a challenge from Upamecano; VAR had a close look at the incident, but the referee eventually waved play on.
Lloris again kept out Kane in the 29th minute, with the England captain striking from distance, and it was a strong response from Gareth Southgate’s side to conceding the opener.
Mbappe’s first real sight of the England goal came in the 39th minute, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward striking a cross from Theo Hernandez over Pickford’s goal.
Lloris did brilliantly to keep out a strike from Bellingham early in the second half, before Maguire had an opportunity from the resulting corner, but the Manchester United captain’s was ultimately gathered by the France goalkeeper.
England were awarded a penalty in the 52nd minute of the contest when Tchouameni brought Saka to the ground with a rash challenge, and Kane stepped up to level the scores in the quarter-final, moving level with Wayne Rooney on 53 goals for the national side in the process
Rabiot tested Pickford with a strike in the spell that followed, before Mbappe showed his pace to breeze past Kyle Walker and deliver into Dembele, but the Barcelona attacker took a poor touch at the vital moment.
Lloris kept out Saka and then Kane during an open period of the match, with both sides threatening to score a second goal in the pulsating last-eight clash.
Maguire shaved the post with a header in the 70th minute before Hernandez just managed to clear a Shaw cross ahead of Saka, and it was England looking the more likely to register as the second period headed for its final 15 minutes.
Giroud headed wide of the England goal in the 75th minute, before France’s all-time record goalscorer was kept out by Pickford two minutes later after volleying towards goal.
The AC Milan forward was not to be denied, though, and he brilliantly headed a Griezmann delivery into the back of the net from close range in the 78th minute.
Mason Mount was bumped to the ground by Hernandez inside the penalty box in the period that followed, and the referee pointed to the spot after having a look at the monitor.
Kane stepped up again, but this time, the Three Lions captain fired the ball over the crossbar in a devastating moment for Southgate’s side.
Mount fired high and wide of the French crossbar in the 89th minute; eight additional minutes were played at the end of the 90, but England could not find a response despite their best efforts, with Marcus Rashford missing a late free kick.
