Robert Lewandowski's Poland deny France top spot in UEFA Euro 2024 Group D
Poland's Robert Lewandowski cancelled out a Kylian Mbappé penalty as France were made to settle for a runners-up finish in UEFA Euro 2024 Group D.
France 1-1 Poland
Goals: 1-0 Mbappé (pen. 56'), 1-1 Lewandowski (pen. 79')
France were already guaranteed a place in the last 16, thanks to favourable results elsewhere, while Poland had been eliminated following their Matchday 2 loss to Austria. It made for an open contest, with Bundesliga legend Lewandowski involved in Poland's best openings. He set up Piotr Zieliński for an early effort at Mike Maignan, before himself heading wide late in the half. France created plenty of openings between times, with Mbappé - back in the starting line-up after breaking his nose on Matchday 1 - thwarted time and again by Łukasz Skorupski. The Poland stopper also denied former Borussia Dortmund forward Ousmane Dembélé with perhaps the most presentable chance of the lot. France's pressure told just before the hour, when Dembéle was upended in the penalty box, and Mbappé dispatched the resultant penalty. Lewandowski levelled with a retaken spot-kick of his own, though, to deny France first place in Group D. They'll now face the Group E runner-up (Belgium, Slovakia, Romania or Ukraine) in Düsseldorf on 1 July. Ralf Rangnick's Austria advance as surprise section winners, with the Netherlands also through to the last 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Watch: Robert Lewandowski - the Bundesliga's record foreign goalscorer
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