Record-breaker Giroud steers France into WC quarters

Olivier Giroud became France’s all-time leading Men’s goal scorer as the FIFA World Cup holders coasted past Poland 3-1 to reach the quarter-finals at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar on Sunday.

The AC Milan striker scored his 52nd goal for France to claim the country’s outright record, surpassing the great Thierry Henry.

The historic goal came on the stroke of half time after Giroud controlled Kylian Mbappe’s pass before converting low into the net beyond the reach of Wojciech Szczesny.

But having provided the assist for the first goal, the brilliant Mbappe turned on the style by scoring two fabulous strikes in the second half.

He hit a powerful drive into the roof of the net from 16 yards for his first and curled home a wonderful second in injury time to take the lead in the Golden Boot race with five goals. Didier Deschamps’ side had been left frustrated up until the opener and could well have fallen behind.

Poland’s best opening in the first half came when the ball dropped for Piotr Zielinski in the centre of the penalty area, but his strike was

straight at Hugo Lloris.

Robert Lewandowski did manage a consolation for the Poles, rolling in a penalty with the last kick of the game.

France dominated the opening stages of the game and Giroud should have given them a 29th-minute lead as he slid wide at the back post from Ousmane Dembele’s cross.

Poland, who were in the knock-out stages for the first time since 1986, came close to a shock opener as Lloris denied Piotr Zielinski before Jakub Kaminski’s rebound was cleared off the line by Raphael Varane.

France took the lead in the 44th minute as Mbappe slid in Giroud, who took one touch before finishing left footed past Wojciech Szczesny for his third goal of the tournament as he became France record Men’s goal scorer.

Mbappe then gave France breathing space midway through the second half as he fired past Szczesny to make it 2-0 before adding a sublime third in the top corner to deny Poland a first World Cup quarter-final appearance since 1982. (C.D)