France and Austria advance to Knockout Stages

France 1-1 Poland

Although France struggled to shine in their recent matches, they were able to keep a 1-1 draw against Poland in their final Group D match. This surprising turn of events gives them the chance to secure a spot in the knockout rounds of the tournament but results in the elimination of Poland in the Euro championship. 

The first half started with both teams failing to score a single goal. But it was not until the start of halftime that they were able to make their first lead of the night. Kylian Mbappé who just returned from a broken nose injury, steps up to take the penalty making his first goal in the European Championship in the 56th-minute. 

While it may seem like France will secure another victory, the penalty given to Poland equalizes the score. Lewandowski guaranteed a penalty goal in the 79th minute, as he struck the ball from the center to the left corner of the net. Poland’s desperation to secure another point in the remaining minutes of the match further intensified but it wasn’t enough to give them another lead. 

In the end, the game concluded with a tied score lead ending the journey of Poland in the Euro championship following their two recent losses. Despite advancing in the tournament, France hasn’t been able to deliver an impressive game as their star player, Mbappé, was limited by his recent injury. 

Austria 3-2 Netherlands

Austria continued their impressive games in the tournament after securing a victory against Netherlands with a score of 3-2 that sent them to the knockout rounds of the competition. 

Donyell Malen scored an own goal in the 6th minute of the game giving Austria the first lead of the match. But as the halftime started, Gody Gakpo, equalized the score for the Dutch in the 46th minute after he unleashed a right-footed curler to find the top right corner. 

However, not too long after that, Austria re-established the lead again with a bullet header by Romano Schmid in the 59th minute. As the intense match continued, Netherland’s Depay Memphis brought the score back to his team again in the 76th minute and made a heart-pounding score in the right corner of the net. 

While the game seemed to end with a draw, Austria delivered a strong left-corner goal by Marcel Sabitzer in the 85th minute giving his team a last-minute point. As the referee blew the whistle, the Netherlands wasn’t able to make another goal placing them in the bottom of Group D.