Kylian Mbappé is off the mark at EURO 2024, though he and France laboured their way to the knockout stages on Tuesday evening.
Having missed Friday's dour draw with the Netherlands after breaking in his nose in the opener against Austria, Mbappé was back in the starting XI for France against Poland.
France were already assured of qualification for the last 16 ahead of their clash with the Poles in Dortmund, and knew that they would finish top of the group if they bettered the Netherlands' result against Austria.
On a thrilling final day in the group, France were held to a draw by Robert Lewandowski's contentious late penalty, while a thriller in Berlin saw Austria run out 3-2 winners. Ralf Rangnick's side ultimately topped the group ahead of both France and the Dutch.
🇫🇷 1-0 🇵🇱
That man Kylian Mbappe finally off the mark, from the penalty spot, as France take lead against Poland#Euro2024
📺@rte2 & @RTEplayer https://t.co/58N1nTXdAZ
📱 Live updates https://t.co/QbbSRljeA0 pic.twitter.com/LHR9aK73Tt— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) June 25, 2024
Though he scored his first-ever goal at a EUROs from the spot in Tuesday's draw with Poland, Mbappé is still yet to score from open play in this tournament.
The 25-year-old has spoken in the past about his discomfort playing as a striker - the exact role he has been expected to play by head coach Didier Deschamps at this tournament.
Speaking on BBC Sport after the draw in Dortmund, Chelsea legend Frank Lampard said that France would have to find a way to deal with the Mbappé conundrum. The ex-England international even suggested that Deschamps could take inspiration from Chelsea's handling of Eden Hazard in the past.
READ HERE: Declan Rice Responds To 'Bitter' James McClean Comments
READ HERE: Pat Spillane The Latest GAA Figure To Question RTÉ's Euro 2024 Coverage
Frank Lampard makes Mbappé-Hazard comparison
Though Lampard was very complimentary towards Kylian Mbappé and described him as the best player in the world "on his day," he expressed doubts about his place in the current French team.
Lampard suggested that Mbappé could be compared to the "slightly lazy" Eden Hazard, and that France would have to work hard to compensate for that in the coming weeks.
I'm sitting here talking with Alan [Shearer] about a striker, a goal-getter's mentality. There are too many times when he's not in the area that the ball might drop in to get goals.
His numbers are still huge in his career but I would be a bit frustrated with him. I understand that he runs but, when you sense danger, when you sense buildup, you've got to get yourself in and around those little attacking areas.
I think, because he's so good, I'd relate it to playing with Eden Hazard. I missed his best years at Chelsea but Chelsea found a way to work around him and let Eden cheat a little bit without the ball, to let him be slightly lazy - because of what his input was, in a similar way to that [Mbappé].
With players that special, you have to find a way - but there is a balance to that. You work around that but you have to find a balance in the team.
Micah Richards suggested that he had similar issues with how France were playing around Kylian Mbappé. The ex-Manchester City man said that, while Mbappé's teammates were constantly working to link up with him, the Real Madrid star was instead playing at "his own pace."
France's failure to beat Poland could prove costly. As group runners-up, they now find themselves on the same side of the draw as fellow contenders Spain, Germany, and Portugal. They will face the runners-up of Group E, to be decided in Wednesday's 5pm kick-offs.
SEE ALSO: Ex-Spurs Man Feels Postecoglou Will Be 'Open-Minded' When It Comes To Troy Parrott
