🔴 Highlights England vs France - A Top-Level Match That Holds the World Breathless

...tournament so far. England are unchanged, Jordan Pickford wins his 50th cap in goal. After some speculation, it is a back four with Kyle Walker deployed to deal with Mbappe's pace. Declan Rice missed some training through illness, but he's fit to play as part of the midfield three. With Raheem Sterling having had time away from the squad, Phil Foden keeps his place in attack. The England head coach has been accused of caution in the past, but he's keen to play this game on their terms. Hugo Lloris dons the gloves for the 143rd time, becoming the most capped French international in history. Right back is potentially a troublesome position, but Jules Koundé is deemed sufficiently comfortable to continue. For all their absentees, it is a formidable midfield, and it would be foolish to focus only on Mbappe. Olivier Giroud, their all-time leading goalscorer, leads the attack. Like England, unchanged from their round of 16 success in their case against Poland. So accurate. Your decision-making has to be absolutely faultless. A neat exchange there. Dembele finding Griezmann, who'll return the compliment. Giroud! It's unlucky. Luke Shaw diving in. I talk about decision-making there. He thinks he can pinch that. But you can't recover against the quickest players like Dembele, who is, it was rapid. That ball is just... ...in that area, away from Mbappe. Yeah. So he can still hang. He'll do that. And if you actually look at Dembele, top of the screen on the right, Luke, you can see he's already tracking Foden and tracking Luke Shaw. They leave Mbappe here. Rabiot on the search. Henderson gave away possession. It's Mbappe's ball. Dembele coming in. Lucky. Yeah. He doesn't have any responsibility in Mbappe in chasing back. He's not going to. He's going to stay to try and do this, to counter. Rabiot, it's a really good run. You can see Dembele. I mentioned him earlier, how much ground he had to make up to try and get himself in the box. He sprinted 60 yards there. Luke Shaw, to his credit, has gone shoulder-to-shoulder with him. And now Walker. Opportunity to make a foray forward. And combined with Saka, it's a robust but fair defending by Opa Mercado. And Walker out of position. Scrambling to get back right now. Here he is. He's made it, but not before Mbappe released it. Mbappe again. Through the challenge of Rice. Now Dembele. Griezmann. Chiomane. Able to get a shot away. And it is a beautiful strike from a young midfielder at this World Cup. Sensational strike. As pure as you are going to see. Walker just had a little foray up the field. England lost possession. And all of a sudden, Mbappe just come alive. White shirts immediately were dragged in. And this French left side. Four white shirts there. And all of a sudden, everything's a little lopsided. There's gaps everywhere. Mbappe behind the ball, England. But nice composure on the edge of the box. When it comes to Chiomane, it hits it hard. It's true. Whether that's come through the traffic. Gone through legs maybe. It's always going away from Jordan Pickford. And that is a brilliant goal. And it's a superb start for France. They've bossed it. Only his second international goal. His first in a competitive match. It is one that will live long in the collective memory. On the basis of the first 18 minutes of the match. It is worked by Stones, Saka, Henderson. An ever-willing runner. Into Kane though. First opportunity for him. Maurice out to thwart his club teammate. Still some work to do here for the French. But they see the danger away. It's the first time really that the lumbells were clanging back there. Certainly were. Great play from Harry Kane. Who just used his body strength. Just to... Watch this, look. Just gets his body in. Upamecano is who thinks he can get there. He can't. Because Kane's protected the ball and just used his strength to roll him. Really good work from Maurice. Great play that from Harry Kane. Protecting his position. Protecting the ball. Just can't get that over. To the referee. Then getting on the end of a potential return. Saka hurrying. And there's the good effect here. And it's Kane. Believes he was caught. The officials are not in agreement. He protests that it was a clumsy challenge. The referee will no doubt have a look. Let's see how it goes. Tell you what. It's very clumsy. It may be just outside the box. Watch for that line. The contact is definitely just outside the area. So if anything's going to be given. It would only be a free kick. I think outside the box. However. Maybe the referee feels. And the VAR guys feel that. Both players were kind of jostling for their position there. Nicolas Gagiot and his team. Are giving it the appropriate scrutiny. If the contact is outside the box. It would not be within their remit anyway to. See a free kick awarded. The game would simply go on. From where we are at the moment. Yes of course. You're right. Of course that we saw. It looked like it was outside. The longer it goes on. It was a foul if it's. Maybe Henderson a touch too desperate there. But a free kick in a very promising position results. A little different. Hernandez able to pull it back. First glimmer of an opening for Kylian Mbappe. Chance that. That's a chance for him. He's annoyed with himself. That he doesn't get over the top of that. And keep it down. Clever set play. Nice little ball around the corner. The cutback from Taylor Hernandez. It's right there where he wants it. Just. Gets underneath it. Foden with an away swing at this time. And once again. Maguire had found space in there. Bellingham. It's rather ace. Has to produce a moment of heroics there. That was traveling from Jude Bellingham. Certainly was. Hit it ever so sweet on the half volley didn't he. Got on top of it. It's always rising. Not totally sure whether it was gonna. Stay under that crossbar. But Hugo Lloris not sure. So quite rightly deals with it. An early wave of second half pressure here from England. And again Maguire piling in on it. Well he got free again. And France cannot afford to let that happen. No. When Lloris does this. When he comes looking for it. He always always looks vulnerable. And looks like he's a goalkeeper in no man's land. This is the strike. Just before that corner from Bellingham. Probably. Well. There was certainly the question of offside. And the flag does go up against Olivier Giroud. But England in possession. Now Henderson. Saka. Or combining it with Bellingham. Saka now. Gonna be a penalty. Absolutely no question. The French goal scorer concedes the penalty. That opens the door for England. Sensational work from Makaio Saka. He just looks such a threat all night long. And whenever he's running at Rabiot in particular. He looks like he can make something happen. Chiouameni is the dangles that leg. Don't do that. You dare not do that when something's coming at you. At serious pace in the box. Kane. Seizing that ball. He did talk about. The prospect of penalties against Hugo Lloris. His club teammate. He says. Well practice them against the second and third choice. More than anybody else. But this. Is a mind game. To end them all. He's not usually phased by much Harry Kane. When it comes to knocking the ball in the back of the net. The prospect. For Kane. Of making history. I always think his penalties. Favorite penalties to the goalkeepers right. To his left as we're looking at it. Against one man who know that better than anybody. Well needs to reset. And re-perform his rituals. Tons of mind games going on here. Because it's his teammate. Because they know. Each other so well. Do I change what I normally do. Or do I just do it. Go for it like I always do. As their all-time top goal scorer. And what a moment. To produce that moment. He's stuck. To plan A didn't he. This is what Harry Kane usually does. Thumps it high. Away to his left. Wraps his foot around it. Maurice I'm surprised. I'm just surprised he went in the other direction. Because Kane wasn't going to. Alter what he does. Pretty much every time from the spot. Great penalty. Beautifully hit. And England starting this second half. With the kind of authority the French showed. In the early stages of the first. It's been a real role reversal. Yeah. It's been a great. Response from England. At the start of the second half. They've gone after France a bit. They're applying pressure. To the back line everywhere. Instead of dropping away in their position. They're just being more aggressive. In terms of winning it back. But then Broden Pickford. Passes his first real test of the night. It's the first time Rabiot really has. Been able to venture forward. Massive gap. A chasm. In the middle of the England back line. Well the midfield player. Feigned as much as anything else. For his endurance and hard running. And that running. Took him into a. Terrific position here. He didn't have a lot of time. Again. Kyle Walker there you see. So. So intent on keeping eyes on Mbappe. On that far side. That he doesn't really get across. And close that gap. Shut that door. Between him and John Stone. Kane. Scoring England's 13th goal of this World Cup. Out in front in that respect. Here's Mbappe. And there's the race. Mbappe's won it. Giroud. And it's still alive here. Griezmann. What a race that was. How quick. Was Mbappe there. Well he was up against. One player possibly. In that position. In this tournament. That could keep up with him. And he blew him away. Psychologically you know. That hurts Kyle Walker. It really does. Because look there. I'm shoulder to shoulder. I can deal with you. No you can't. He's skinned him there. Two yards he's gone beyond him. Saka. That was almost too easy. It's a terrific run. But the venom behind the shot. Not sufficient to trouble Lloris. New ball to Bakao Saka. Clever run from him. Just drifted infield. Into that number 10 position. And then saw the gap. Now Griezmann. Well when you feel momentum is lost. It can be extremely difficult to wrestle it back. That's the task here for France. And Bape though gives them every hope. Rabiot's cross. Dembele hoping to win it. Giroud is there. Pickford saves England. He's got a score. That is a brilliant chance. And whilst a lot of credit goes to Jordan Pickford. Olivier Giroud there knows. He's got to knock that in. That's a fantastic chance that is. He's gone side foot. But he hasn't tucked it into the corner. He just hit the target really there. And I think from that sort of distance. He puts his foot through that. Over the top. Off the laces. I think he knocks it in. Will that be a moment of regret? But just now suggesting it might be tough to wrestle the momentum back. They've got it. Griezmann's ball. Giroud! That is. That's Olivier Giroud. That's his real strength. Technically he's a gifted footballer. With his height and physical presence. Give him the service. If he's the right side. Then you can't beat him. You can't get across him. It's a brilliant delivery. England can't get the white shirts out to stop the cross. Once that beats John Stones I think on the edge of the six-yard box. Once it goes over his head. Maguire's got to get there. He doesn't quite close the door enough. He does everything he can to try and get there. But because of Giroud's sheer size and presence. Actually look it comes off for Harry Maguire. To flash past the goalkeeper. But it's all about the delivery that. It's such a dangerous cross. England have to do it all again. The French are in sight of victory again. England making changes. Mount on. Stirling on. But Olivier Giroud has made it his stock in trade. To get in in that near post area. And cause major mystery for opponents. Whether it's a clean header doesn't matter. He's there and he reaps the rewards so often. We are taught to. Available for them. But with the clock ticking down someone's got to take it. That's a penalty. That has to be a penalty. Mason Mount on the receiving end. It looked every day of the week. A shove. I mean it was always beating Mason Mount. It was always going over the top of him. But you can't just barge into people and clatter them to the floor. I mean that is. VAR checking. They've got to check it. It's a penalty. Has to be a penalty. There can be no other decision here. That's an absolute moment of madness. That from Teo Hernandez. I cannot even think what is. What is going through his mind. You just track the run. You stay shoulder to shoulder with your man. You don't flatten him in the box. This is going to be given. He's going to see the evidence for himself. Wilton Sampaio holds the destiny of this quarterfinal in his hands. Oh I mean it's going to be given. It should be given. This is exactly what we have VAR for. This is why we've needed it in the game for these big moments. Huge significant moments and I'm afraid that is a penalty. Well the question you must ask is what on earth went on between the years of Teo Hernandez. The decision is clear and so is the French frustration. And aims begin again. New card says Bellingham. What the ball was getting away through to the goalkeeper. There's no question about that. Yeah but what I think Jude Bellingham is saying is. Was that a legitimate attempt to play the ball? It wasn't. He wasn't even trying to play the ball. Card. Yeah there's no question of anything further. Which I think was possibly what Bellingham was suggesting. I think he was. That is such a poor piece of defence. No it's not defending. I wouldn't even call that defending. That's just that's just negligence. That is that is absolutely ridiculous. And I'm sure Deschamps and his teammates. Should this game now get away from France. Will be absolutely furious with him. Well the kindest you can call it is a major misjudgment. Well it's too much for even. Those who've written their name into English football legend. Harry Kane. Has answered the prayers of English football followers. Often enough. Now he must produce again. Against the most familiar foe he could face. Really thought Harry Kane would go the same way. Lloris actually dived. That he's gone for height. He's gone down the middle. And he's skied it. Incredible. Look at that. Oh it's not even close.