France vs Poland: Lewandoski scores to deny Les Blues top spot in Group D; Five interesting takeaways from the dramatic stalemate

France finished second place in Group D after a frustrating 1-1 draw with Poland at the BVB Stadion Dortmund. Kylian Mbappe put Les Blues ahead from the penalty spot in the 56th minute before Robert Lewandoski levelled matters with a spot kick of his own on the 79th minute mark.

Here are five interesting takeaways from the game.

1. Mbappe gets off the mark on his return

Mbappe finally got his name on the score sheet at the European Championships with what was his 23rd shot in the tournament, marking his return to the team with a very important goal. The 25-year-old forward now has Michel Platini’s scoring record (most goals at major tournaments -14) within his sights after scoring his 13th goal at major tournaments for France.

2. Lewandoski has his say

Talisman Lewandowski returned to the lineup after his thigh injury and led Poland in attack, attempting the most shots and ensuring they did not leave the competition empty-handed. The 35-year-old is the only player to have scored in the last four editions of the tournament and is just the third player in history to score in four or more European Championships, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric.

3. Frustration for Les Blues

France were left frustrated despite creating the bulk of the chances in the game. Spearheaded by the masked Mbappe, Les Blues’ attack made in-roads behind Poland’s defensive line with the likes of Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele looking lively down the flanks but they just could not stick the ball in the back of the net. Mbappe and company settle for second place with this draw and may be faced with a potentially more difficult route in the knockout stages.

4. Skorupski stands tall between the sticks

Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski was arguably the best Polish player on the pitch, standing tall between the sticks to deny France on multiple occasions. The 33-year-old made four big saves in the first half, denying Theo Hernandez, Dembele and Mbappe to keep the score line level at half time. The Bologna shot-stopper is the only reason France didn’t run riot in the game.

5. A dramatic finish to the game

The game in Dortmund was not without drama. Poland were awarded a penalty after a VAR check adjudged Dayot Upamecano guilty of tripping Karol Swiderski inside the box. Skipper Lewandoski stepped up to take the spot kick but saw his effort saved by Mike Maignan. However, the goalkeeper was off his line, affording the Barca forward a second bite of the cherry and he made no mistake with his second effort.