England booted out

France have beaten England 2-1 at the 2022 World Cup and will play Morocco for a place in next week’s final.

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni scored a sublime opening goal from range. Harry Kane levelled the score after the break with a penalty kick, after having an earlier appeal ignored by referee Wilton Pereira Sampaio.

Olivier Giroud then scored a late goal to put France in control, before Kane dramatically missed a second penalty kick, with the reigning world champions holding on to win.

In a game with so many high-quality players, and with the focus on France’s Kylian Mbappe and the threat he posed, it was his team-mate Antoine Griezmann who proved to be the key man for Didier Deschamps’ side.

If there was a pocket of space, the Atletico Madrid forward seemingly always found it, drifting effortlessly into it, sometimes without even having to move. England, particularly in the first half, did not know how to deal with him.

Playing the game at his pace and dictating French attacks, his quality in possession was exceptional, keeping his side ticking and picking the correct pass to move his team up the pitch at every opportunity.

His work-rate may go under the radar but he was constantly pressing and harrying England’s defenders and deeper midfielders, not allowing them to settle or build play.

His delivery for Giroud’s winner was practically impossible to defend. He deserved to be the man who produced the moment of quality to separate the two sides.

He became the first French player to provide two assists in a knockout round game of the World Cup since Dominique Rocheteau against Italy in the round of 16 in 1986.

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