Robert Lewandowski’s penalty pegs back France to earn point for Poland

Robert Lewandowski celebrates after equalising from the spot. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

There was the moment of unbridled joy Kylian Mbappé had presumably visualised in recent days: whipping off his black mask and celebrating before thousands of France supporters in the imposing, iconic steep Sudtribune. He struck a second-half penalty to relieve France’s goalscoring frustrations but by the end of a stodgy team performance he cut a contrasting figure, fidgeting with the mechanics of his mask in sticky heat. Mbappé was easily France’s best player but the bad news for France was there was another returning forward in the shape of Robert Lewandowski, who earned an unlikely point, also scoring from the spot.

It was a damaging goal with ramifications in Group D, Austria beating France to top spot. Lewandowski, Poland’s all-time record goalscorer and captain who scored 74 goals for Borussia Dortmund, had to retake his penalty after the France goalkeeper Mike Maignan jumped off his line prematurely to save his effort from 12 yards. Lewandowski kept his cool to repeat the same staggered run-up, waiting for Maignan to blink first, and he squeezed his shot into the same corner down to the goalkeeper’s right. Mbappé moved towards the touchline to ask questions of the fourth official, Rade Obrenovic, about the validity of Lewandowski’s second effort. There would be no reprieve.

In the buildup Didier Deschamps’s Polish counterpart, Michal Probierz, described the France manager as a professor but Deschamps grew frustrated as his side struggled to find a solution to breach a stubborn defence. He knew new the chances were totting up for France and by half-time they had registered eight shots, four on target, with the Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski repelling efforts by Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Theo Hernández. It all felt a bit mad professor when Deschamps scratched his head furiously after the 33-year-old Skorupski, preferred to Wojciech Szczesny, thwarted Mbappé the first time after a slick give-and-go with Bradley Barcola, this his first start.

Perhaps it was inevitable Mbappé would relieve France’s frustrations. The goal itself was not a superb piece of craft or slick team move but a second-half penalty. Until then, it seemed France really did have a goalscoring problem as the chances came and went. Then Dembélé powered into the box and was chopped by Jakub Kiwior, presenting Mbappé with the chance to dispatch the spot-kick. It was a moment Mbappé understandably savoured.

Now Deschamps could begin to freshen things up with one eye on the last 16. Antoine Griezmann, Edouard Camavinga and Olivier Giroud entered just after the hour and it seemed France had finally hurdled the awkward bit of this contest. Piotr Zielinski had the game’s first shot on six minutes, Kacper Urbanski was allowed a free strike in the box and an unmarked Lewandowski also headed wide but all of those efforts arrived before the 35th minute and a rousing comeback seemed unlikely.

Poland were eliminated last week so surely they were dead and buried? Or so France thought. Lewandowski sent a dipping effort wide on 72 minutes and then Dayot Upamecano’s clumsy challenge on Karol Swiderski presented Lewandowski with the chance to level from the spot. Maignan saved down to his right but the referee, Marco Guida, ordered a retake after the France goalkeeper moved off his line prematurely. An ice-cold Lewandowski had the nerve to go the same way for round two, stroking the ball in off a post.