Harry Kane’s missed penalty turned out to be the decisive factor in the enthralling FIFA World Cup quarter-final clash between England and France.
Aurelien Tchouameni scored the opening goal of the game in the 17th minute. The Real Madrid midfielder received the ball from far outside the penalty area and scored a spectacular long-range goal to give the defending world champions the lead.
The Three Lions had the chance to equalize when Bukayo Saka won a penalty for Gareth Southgate’s team. Harry Kane expertly dispatched the shot past his long-term club teammate Hugo Lloris to bring his country level.
Adrien Rabiot almost instantly won the lead back. However, an alert Jordan Pickford denied him.
The Three Lions started to get more hold of the game. Olivier Giroud, meanwhile, saw his effort brilliantly saved midway through the second half.
Giroud found the back of the net soon after, as he converted an Antoine Griezmann cross.
England had a golden opportunity when Mason Mount was brought down inside the area by Theo Hernandez. Kane, however, blazed his shot over the bar, missing a gilt-edged opportunity for his team.
Marcus Rashford’s late free-kick was a whisker away from handing Southgate’s team the equalizer. But it just wasn’t meant to be for them.
Didier Deschamps’ side went through to the semi-final of the tournament with the win against the Three Lions.
Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter after the thrilling encounter between England and France:
France will play Morocco in the semi-final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup after win against Harry Kane’s England
With the win against England, France have qualified for the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They will now face Morocco in the last four.
The defending world champions are keen on becoming the first team since 1962 to retain their status as the world champions.
In a night of French ecstasy, there was nothing but sheer agony for Harry Kane. The Three Lions’ all-time leading scorer’s penalty miss turned out to be the decisive moment in the game.