France claimed a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Denmark in the second round of the 2022 World Cup Group D to lock down a place in the competition’s knockout stages. Kylian Mbappe soaked up the limelight as Les Bleus’ headline performer at Stadium 974, notching up a second-half brace to get their progression over the line.
France went from strength to strength in their Group D curtain-raiser against Australia, registering an overwhelming 4-1 triumph despite falling behind early in the match.
Having lost both UEFA Nations League matches against Denmark in 2022, Les Bleus were out to exact revenge and claim a place in the World Cup knockouts with a game to spare. On the evidence of this year’s Nations League alone, Didier Deschamps had plenty to worry about in what turned out to be a keenly-contested fixture.
The game kicked off at a frantic pace, yet France took no time establishing control of possession and pinning Denmark deep into their territory. Despite failing to create many clear-cut first-half chances, Deschamps’ side did a splendid job keeping the Danes far away from Hugo Lloris’ goal in that timeframe.
Everything changed in the second half. Despite taking the lead through Mbappe, France conceded the equalizer in a blink of an eye. However, the 23-year-old stole the spotlight again in the 86th minute to seal France’s revenge and catapult them through to the last 16.
France (4-1-2-3)
Hugo Lloris – 5
Merely a spectator in the first half, the Tottenham Hotspur stalwart barely had sight of the ball during the opening 45 minutes. Couldn’t do anything to save Denmark’s equalizer from point-blank range.
Jules Kounde – 6
Keen to impress after taking Benjamin Pavard’s place in the starting line-up, one of Barcelona’s marquee summer signings got away with just a yellow for a reckless challenge on Victor Nelsson. Otherwise a decent match for the highly-rated defender.
Raphael Varane – 6.5
Back to the starting XI after missing out against Australia due to injury, the Manchester United man helped his juvenile colleague Upamecano deal with the Danes’ attacks with authority.
Dayot Upamecano – 6.5
Much better than in the opening match against Australia, the Bayern Munich defensive cornerstone barely put his foot wrong.
Theo Hernandez – 7
The sought-after Milan defender slotted in for his brother Lucas, who picked up a tournament-ending injury against Australia, at the left-back and delivered another electrifying performance. Assisted Mbappe for the opening goal but was caught off guard at the back a couple of times.
Aurelien Tchouameni – 6.5
No matter the stakes, you can always rely on the new Real Madrid deep-lying midfielder. When you look at the maturity and sophisticated sense of play, it’s hardly surprising Los Merengues splashed out a fortune to sign him from Monaco this summer.
Adrien Rabiot – 5.5
Tipped to fill Paul Pogba’s shoes in Qatar, the improving Juventus midfielder missed his side’s best chances of the first half, with Kasper Schmeichel’s flying save thwarting his towering header.
Antoine Griezmann – 7
Despite being played out of his favorite position, the Barcelona loanee was one of Les Blues’ most active players. Constantly shifting between the lines and delivering several pinpoint crosses into the box, the Atletico Madrid star had a decent game overall. Plus he was the architect behind Mbappe’s winner.
Ousmane Dembele – 5.5
The ambidextrous winger was a constant nightmare on the right-hand side, tricking and flicking and creating chances for his teammates with purposeful delivery.
Olivier Giroud – 4
Fresh from tying with legendary Thierry Henry as France’s all-time top goalscorer with a brace against Australia, Giroud never found himself in a position to break the record. Subbed off at the hour mark, the Milan marksman will have to wait for a new opportunity to leapfrog the ex-Arsenal icon.
Kylian Mbappe – 8
You’d expect much more from one of the world’s best players, or so you’d thought after the first half. After exchanging a perfect give-and-go with Hernandez, the Paris-Saint Germain superstar slotted home a classy finish to break the deadlock. If that wasn’t enough, he doubled up late to fire France into the round of 16 with a game to spare.
Read our Player Ratings for Denmark
Substitutes
Marcus Thuram – 4.5
Completely out of the game despite being handed over 30 minutes of action.
Ibrahima Konate – 5.5
Picked up where Varane left off and fended off the Danes with his frightening physical presence at the back.
Kingsley Coman – 5.5
A lively display from the lightning-quick winger led to Les Blues’ winner.