The French national team forfeited its top position in Group D of the European Championship after drawing 1-1 with Poland on Tuesday night in the final match of the group stage. The French took the lead with a goal from their captain Kylian Mbappé in the 56th minute from a penalty, but Robert Lewandowski equalized for Poland with another penalty in the 79th minute.
With this result, the French team raised its points tally to 5, dropping to second place behind Austria, which secured 6 points after winning against the Netherlands 3-2, pushing the Dutch team also to third place. Poland, on the other hand, earned a consolation point before exiting the Euro 2024 tournament.
France will face the runner-up of Group E, which could be Belgium, Romania, Slovakia, or Ukraine, in the round of 16.
Both teams exchanged offensive attempts in the first half hour, with French goalkeeper Mike Maignan alertly saving two attempts from Piotr Zieliński and Kacper Urbanski. Polish goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski also saved a clear chance against Theo Hernandez in the 11th minute before denying an opportunity for Ousmane Dembélé in the 19th minute.
Dayot Upamecano cleared a dangerous Polish cross while Robert Lewandowski missed a dangerous header just beside the post in the 34th minute. The match tilted towards the Polish goal as French pressure mounted in the last 10 minutes, featuring a shot from Aurelien Tchouaméni beside the post and two attempts from William Saliba and Upamecano over the crossbar.
Skorupski denied two clear chances against Mbappé in the 42nd and 45th minutes. The French team continued its intense offensive pressure in the second half, with Skorupski saving a shot from Mbappé, followed by another shot from their captain that went wide in the 49th minute.
Ousmane Dembélé earned a penalty after being fouled, which was successfully converted by Mbappé, putting France ahead after 11 minutes of the second half. In the 60th minute, coach Didier Deschamps made three substitutions, bringing on Griezmann, Camavinga, and Giroud for Barcola, Rabiot, and Kanté, changing the formation from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2.
Amidst French momentum, Lewandowski struck a long-range shot that went past the right post, and shortly after, Upamecano fouled Karol Świderski, leading to a penalty awarded by the referee. Lewandowski missed the initial penalty due to videotechnology indicating that Maignan had advanced, but the Barcelona star scored on the rebound, equalizing for Poland in the 79th minute.
A few minutes later, Lewandowski threatened the French goal with a shot beside the right crossbar, while Deschamps introduced both Youssouf Fofana and Kolo Muani for Tchouaméni and Dembélé in an attempt to energize the squad. However, the Polish team held firm and secured a consolation point despite the match extending over 5 minutes of stoppage time.
