FIFA World Cup 2022: France vs Australia Highlights: France brush aside Socceroos 4-1

Earlier,
Craig
Goodwin
gave
the
Socceroos
a
shock
lead
but
the
World
Champions
avoided
any
potential
upset.
The
win
means
France
goes
to
the
top
of
Group
D.

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As
it
Happened:

It
was
a
shocking
start
to
the
match
as
Australia
took
an
early
lead
in
the
9th
minute.
Matthew
Leckie’s
low
cross
was
met
on
the
far
post
by
Craig
Goodwin,
who
rifled
it
past
Hugo
Lloris
at
the
France
goal
to
open
the
scoring
for
the
Socceroos.
Lucas
Hernandez
was
then
substituted
due
to
an
injury
as
he
was
replaced
by
his
brother
Theo.

But
France
equalised
before
the
half-hour
mark
through
Adrien
Rabiot,
whose
header
brought
the
Champions
back
into
the
match.
He
rose
highest
after
the
Socceroos
switched
off
after
an
initial
clearance
from
a
corner.
Minutes
after,
Olivier
Giroud
gave
the
French
the
lead
from
a
Rabiot
pass.

Kylian
Mbappe
had
the
chance
to
double
their
lead
but
blazed
his
shot
over
from
close
range.
At
the
break,
it
was
the
Champions
with
a
slender
lead
as
they
controlled
the
game
after
a
shocking
start.

Kylian
Mbappe
and
Giroud
added
one
each
in
the
second
half
as
France
came
away
4-1
victorious
in
the
first
match.
The
win
means
the
French
are
the
first
defending
champions
to
win
their
first
group
match
in
16
years.

France
vs
Australia
Lineup:

France:
Lloris;
Pavard
(Kounde),
Konate,
Upamecano,
Lucas
Hernandez
(Theo
Hernandez);
Rabiot,
Tchouameni
(Fofana);
Dembele
(Coman),
Griezmann,
Mbappe;
Giroud
(Thuram)

Australia:
Ryan;
Atkinson
(Degenek),
Souttar,
Rowles,
Behich;
Irvine
(Baccus),
Mooy,
McGree
(Mabil);
Leckie,
Duke
(Cummings),
Goodwin
(Kuol)

Aftermath:

France
will
be
up
against
Denmark
in
their
next
match
on
26th
November
while
Australia
takes
on
Tunisia
earlier
on
the
same
day.

Key
Stats:

• This
  was
  two
  goals
  in
  the
  last
  three
  appearances
  for
  Adrien
  Rabiot
  who
  scored
  only
  once
  in
  the
  previous
  27.
• Olivier
  Giroud
  scored
  the
  50th
  and
  51st
  goal
  for
  France.
  He
  is
  just
  one
  away
  from
  becoming
  the
  leading
  goalscorer
  for
  France.
  He
  won
  75%
  of
  aerial
  duels.
• Dayot
  Upamecano
  completed
  114
  passes
  with
  95%
  accuracy.
  He
  also
  made
  8
  accurate
  long
  passes
  making
  with
  winning
  5
  ground
  duels
  in
  the
  match.
• Ousmane
  Dembele
  completed
  most
  dribbles
  in
  the
  match
  with
  3.