Lucas Hernandez was on the ground, writhing in pain with a stretcher on the way. Hugo Lloris was at least able to rally, but he was enduring a different kind of agony altogether, having dropped too low as the ball headed into the roof of the net.
Craig Goodwin went down on his own, sliding on his knees in the ecstasy of a 30-year-old fellow South Australian who had just scored nine minutes into his first World Cup. Ibrahima Konaté was surprised. Kylian Mbappé lowered his head. Was this the champion’s curse? Was Australia about to pull off a Saudi Arabia?
This story didn’t end that way, but it served the narrative of France’s temperament well. Zinedine Zidane must have been watching, tiptoeing from afar, scheming after reports he has reached a preliminary agreement to take over from Didier Deschamps after the tournament.
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The alternative narrative is that France are notoriously slow starters at World Cup finals and it took just 18 more minutes for Adrien Rabiot to equalize and five more for Olivier Giroud to score the first of his two goals. Giroud is now equal to Thierry Henry’s all-time record of 51.
Mbappé added to the score after the break for a win that after Denmark’s earlier stalemate with Tunisia has the holders on course to top this group.
The fact that the game didn’t blow out more was partly down to France’s disbandment (they had 23 shots to Australia’s four) and partly down to Australia’s tenacity against this insanely talented team .
The gulf in class is undeniably great, even when, for a brief moment in the second half, the Socceroos had 12 players on the pitch. Even without the injured Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté and Karim Benzema et al, France’s depth is scary. Their 38th-ranked counterparts are young and inexperienced: half the squad has 10 caps or less and only four over 50. At international level, they are seen as little more than fodder for Golden Boot contenders.
And yet, in similar fashion to an identical opening match four years ago, when France won by a whisker after a deflected own goal, Australia defended stoutly. Head coach Graham Arnold’s pre-match rhetoric about sending out “11 boxing kangaroos” was a delight. At one point in the first half, Jackson Irvine dropped Aurélien Tchouaméni with a fierce sliding challenge. Midway through the second, Kye Rowles did a number on Mbappé.
After the early exchanges, during which Ousmane Dembélé got away with Aziz Behich and Mbappé played Nathaniel Atkinson, Australia cleared an ominous corner and then settled. Aaron Mooy recycled possession at the base of midfield as his team-mates tried to break down France’s defensive deadlock. Les Bleus simply observed the comfortable holding pattern of their opponents, letting them play but not providing a clear opening.
Craig Goodwin fires Australia to an early lead. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The opening goal came out of nowhere. Stoke’s Harry Souttar unleashed a long diagonal ball which Mat Leckie skilfully brought down, skipped past Lucas Hernandez and cut in a teasing cross which he curled seductively across the face of goal to that Goodwin pounced and the net bounced as Lloris pounced in vain.
Soon after, Mitchell Duke took a shot and just missed from at least 25 yards. An upset was brewing. Well, it might have been if not for the aforementioned talent at Deschamps’ disposal. Mbappé and Demebélé set about making hay in wide areas, pushing Australia further and further into their own half and then into their own third, using Antoine Griezmann to confuse the defence.
This was particularly evident after Griezmann forced a corner, which failed to clear the first defender. But when the ball fell to Theo Hernandez’s feet, he curled it brilliantly for Rabiot, completely unmarked, to go at Mat Ryan.
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Giroud had been in the hunt from the start. The 36-year-old striker endured a barren finals in 2018 and the record books were screaming. He headed a high effort, but minutes later made it count when Atkinson was caught out of possession.
Two quick goals in the second half put the game to bed. France were bored and Australia struggled to clear their lines. They failed completely in the 68th minute, when Mbappé got squeezed between the two central players when launching a cross from Dembélé.
Mbappé then turned provider, dropping his shoulder and darting inside for a cross that gave Giroud his record equaliser. He was replaced late to applause.
This display was not without its hairy moments, most notably when Irvine hit the post as Lloris stood there watching, like in slow motion. I’ve never had better luck with that lick of paint.
More wasteful moments will also be tested by stronger opposition. Griezmann fired wide, Mbappé hit the Z-row in front of an open goal and Giroud’s header was deflected wide.
But it already looks likely that France will become the second champions in the last five World Cup tournaments to advance from the group stage.