June 25, (THEWILL) – France and Poland played to a 1-1 draw in their UEFA European Championship Group D match in Dortmund. The result saw France finish as runners-up in the group, while Poland exited the tournament without a win.
Kylian Mbappe, wearing a protective mask, opened the scoring for France from the penalty spot after Ousmane Dembele was fouled in the box. It marked Mbappe’s first-ever goal at a European Championship, coming on his 23rd shot attempt in the competition – the most by any French player since 1980.
Poland equalised late through Robert Lewandowski, who converted a retaken penalty after VAR intervention. The goal made Lewandowski the only player to score in four consecutive European Championships. Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski kept his side in the match with several crucial saves, denying Mbappe twice at close range.
The draw extended France’s unbeaten run to six matches but cost them top spot in Group D. For Poland, it was a positive end to their Euro 2024 campaign, avoiding a third straight defeat and earning their first point against France since 1982.
France will now face a tougher path in the knockout stages as group runners-up. Meanwhile, Poland can take little pride in a resilient performance against the two-time European champions, despite their early elimination from the tournament.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
