In Match 24 of FIFA 2022, the defending champions, France defeated Denmark 2-1 in an energetic second-half thriller to become the first team to qualify for the round of 16. Kylian Mbappe scored two goals in the second half to see his side through to the knockout stage. The match broke the European curse that has been running for over two decades, where a European champion team fails to make it to the knockout stage of that year’s World Cup.
Having triumphed in 1998, France was eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup that followed. Italy was then eliminated in the first round in 2010, according to the 2010 winners. In 2014, Spain was eliminated during the group stage, and the winners of that year In 2018, Germany had lost in the group stage.
Denmark is rolling the ball to start the first half. They do well to maintain the majority of control in the opening five minutes, but are helpless when they cede possession to the French. The French team thereafter continues to control the first half. In the first minute and a half, Christensen fouls Mbappe to earn Antonie Griezmann a free kick, which he then passes to Dembele. He sends the cross in. Danish goalkeeper Schmeichel makes a brilliant diving save as Adrien Rabiot leaps and attempts to head the ball toward the far post.
Ousmane Dembele is unable to control the ball as it clatters off his thigh and briefly rises into the air as Mbappe sends it in from the left with force 50 minutes into the game. Mbappe is making ferocious attempts to score the opening goal for his club. Mbappe sprints in and tries to beat the goalkeeper, but he doesn’t have enough room to execute it properly. An opportunity lost for France.
At the 61-minute mark, Hernandez scores the game’s first goal after Kylian Mbappe sprints in from the left and passes the ball to him while he is positioned inside. Hernandez hands the striker the ball, who dribbles it past the Danish defenders and over Schmeichel, who was unable to see the ball. After a dull first half, France has taken the lead with a score of 1-0.
Denmark eventually equalized the score 67 minutes into the contest. Andersen flicked Eriksen’s cross creating a decent corner chance. Right when it was needed, Eriksen took the corner from the right and flicked it towards Andreas Christensen, who sprinted in and headed it past Hugo Lloris. Denmark is currently in a tight race because they want to grab the lead. After 73 minutes, Eriksen charges in from the left side and unleashes a rocket shot at the French goal, which Lloris deflects with one hand.
After a few back-and-forth exchanges between the two teams, Mbappe restored France’s advantage in the 86th minute when he slipped past Christensen to score after receiving a beautiful cross from Griezmann. France has the necessary lead to advance to the knockout stages as the game is almost finished. In the waning minutes, they simply need to hold onto this advantage.
The second half is extended by 7 minutes as the Danish team picks up the pace and attempts to tie the game by shooting whenever they have the chance. With the victory, the defending champions are the first group to guarantee its place in the round of 16.
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