In the second Group D match of the Qatar World Cup 2022, Didier Deschamps' World Cup title-defending squad defeated Australia 4-1. Australia got off to a great start, shocking an injury-plagued French team when Goodwin scored off a Matt Leckie cross to the far post. Rabiot quickly responded by tying the game for the World Champions by heading home a lovely cross from Theo Hernandez. Only five minutes had passed when they doubled their lead, and this time it was Rabiot who was the one who set up the tally. He stole the ball from Atkinson in the first half and set up Giroud for France's lone goal.
France stepped up their game after intermission and scored twice. After missing several opportunities,
Mbappe finally made amends by redirecting a cross from Dembele into the back of the net. Three minutes later, he made a selfless pass that helped set up Giroud for France's fourth goal, a thunderous header. With their massive squad depth, the French was too much for Australia, and the game ended in their favor.
10. Benjamin Pavard – 6
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Despite his 89 minutes on the field, his only defensive contribution was a single interception. Jules Kounde, a central defender for Barcelona, replaced him in the 89th minute, but not before he had a 95% passing accuracy.
9. Hugo Lloris – 6
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He didn't have to make any stops because France barely let Australia into their half after Australia's opening goal, which he gave up due to a positional error.
8. Mathew Leckie – 6.5
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Active on the wing, he picked out Goodwin with a beautiful low cross and was Australia's best attacker against France. Leckie relied heavily on wide passes, yet he still managed to complete one of three take-on and play all 97 minutes.
7. Riley McGree – 7
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Had a paltry 0.2 xG, but his performance was sloppy: he gave the ball away seven times and committed fouls retrieving the second ball on three separate occasions. Awer Mabil replaced him in the 73rd minute.
6. Craig Goodwin- 7
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Did excellently to slip into the gap behind Upamecano for Australia’s opener. It was not very apparent in attack afterward as he managed to throw all three of his crosses waywardly wide and pulled off in the 74th minute to give way to Garang Kuol.
5. Aurelien Tchouameni – 7.5
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Midfield excellence from the new Real Madrid man felt like a walk in the park for him. Tchouameni showed his mettle by completing 96% of his passes and also winning all 6 of his ground duels without committing a single foul. Replaced by Youssouf Fofana in the 77th minute.
4. Antoine Griezmann – 7.5
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The star player for Atletico Madrid did what he had to do, but he wasn't directly involved in any of the goals. Five of the Frenchman's six crosses were successful, and he also completed six vital passes. They attempted only three attempts on goal, only one of which was successful.
3. Kylian Mbappe – 7.5
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As Griezmann attempted to set him up with a magnificent trivela ball, he burst out with skills and tricks but opened a crucial opportunity in front of the goal. He scored
The Equalizer in the second half off a Dembele cross with a bullet header that beat Matt Ryan. He was a bit wasteful, missing two great opportunities and completing just three of his eight dribbles, but he was crucial as an assist, setting up Giroud's goal for France.
2. Adrien Rabiot – 8
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Rabiot finally had a fruitful game with France after a long drought, scoring one goal and setting up another in a rout of Australia. He patiently waited for the perfect cross into the area before heading it past Matt Ryan for France's first goal. Rabiot didn't slow down as he set up their second goal by dispossessing Atkinson, dribbling past Harry Souttar, and setting up Olivier Giroud. Had a perfect completion rate on both of his pinged balls and his lone cross attempt, and he also won five tackles.
1. Olivier Giroud- 8.5
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The former Chelsea, Arsenal, and now Milan frontman has always been in the shadows, looking to provide that silent but effective edge. His two goals against Australia with an xG of only 1.67 from only 19 touches exceeded expectations and put him on par with Thierry Henry as France's all-time leading scorer, so that's certain to change. The first goal was a tap-in, while the second was a header that was perfectly timed. Enjoyed a much-deserved rest in the 89th minute when Marcus Thuram came on as a substitute.