France is the first team through to the World Cup quarter-finals after Kylian Mbappé inspired his side to a 4-3 victory over Argentina.
France took the lead through Antoine Griezmann’s penalty after just 13 minutes. Mbappé was the creator, tearing through the France defence before being bundled over by Marcos Rojo. Griezmann waited for Franco Armani to dive to his left before slotting the spot-kick down the middle.
Argentina equalised just before half-time with Ángel Di María curling home a sumptuous effort from distance.
And three minutes after the break they had the lead, with Lionel Messi’s shot deflected past Hugo Lloris in the France goal by Gabriel Mercado.
The lead lasted less than 10 minutes thanks to another superb effort from distance. This time the ball dropped to the France right-back Benjamin Pavard, who thundered a half-volley past Armani to make it 2-2.
Mbappé then delivered the decisive blows. First, on 64 minutes, the 19-year-old wriggled space in the area and lashed a shot low past Armani, though the goalkeeper might have done better.
Five minutes later he placed Olivier Giroud’s pass into the bottom corner to give France a 4-2 lead.
France perhaps should have added to their tally in the closing stages, while Lionel Messi missed a half-chance for Argentina with five minutes to go. Sergio Agüero then nodded home Argentina’s third deep into injury time but it was too little too late.
Les Bleus will play the winners of Uruguay v Portugal in Nizhny Novgorod on Friday in the quarter-finals.
Source: The Guardian
