FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: Round of 16 Day 2 Review

ROUND OF 16

France 3-1 Poland

Group D winners France took on Group C runners-up Poland in the third Round of 16 fixture. The majority of the first half was more or less a long battle to control the midfield. Neither team was able to exert dominance over possession, so time passed slowly for spectators who were left watching each team pass around the back until the ball was intercepted or cleared. There were only a handful of truly threatening chances until Olivier Giroud finally scored the first goal from a superb Mbappe assist in the 44th minute.

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Poland took more risk going forward in the second half but without reward. They were instead punished on the counter in the 74th minute from a Kylian Mbappe strike assisted by Ousmane Dembele. Later, Mbappe returned to the same spot to receive Marcus Thuram’s assist and score the third goal for France.

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Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano gifted ex-Bayern forward Robert Lewandowski a penalty in the last seconds of the added time. Lewandowski’s first attempt was saved but Wojciech Szczęsny was adjudged to have come off his line early, and French players also encroached into the penalty box before he struck the kick. Lewandowski was therefore granted a do-over, and this time he slotted home to ruin France’s clean sheet at the very death.

England 3-0 Senegal

Group B winners England took on Group A runners-up Senegal in the match that would decide who will face France in the quarterfinal. Senegal looked the better team in the first 30 minutes of the match, winning most individual duels. England changed tactics and retreated, and soon after England had their first real chance on the counter, with Jude Bellingham crossing low to find Jordan Henderson's finish.

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In the dying minutes of the first half, Harry Kane scored his first goal in this World Cup when he was set up by Phil Foden after a counterattack similar to the one that produced the first goal.

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In the second half, England extended the lead when Bukayo Saka received the ball at the edge of the box from Foden. He then dribbled until he found an open path to goal and sent the ball through it in the 57th minute. The rest of the match ended uneventfully, with England keeping a clean sheet and moving on to face France in the Round of 8.

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