When the mask fell, there was no hero in sight. Instead, France’s worst fear presented himself – a man struggling with the expectation of a nation on his shoulders.
With top spot in Group D up for grabs in the scorching Ruhr Valley heat, Kylian Mbappe, who completed the Ninja Turtle look by sporting a mask to protect his broken nose, stayed calm as he slotted home from the penalty spot in the second half, putting France seemingly on course for a comfortable victory over a Poland side with nothing to play for.
Real Madrid’s latest recruit had plenty of chances to see off the Polish resistance once and for all in Dortmund, but further profligacy from a team without a goal from open play all tournament proved costly, as another more seasoned pro, at home with carrying his country on his back, spoiled the party.
Second place in the group is no disaster, but the concerns over French potency, present pre-tournament, are not going away.
Other than a scuffed Kacper Urbanski effort early on, France goalkeeper Mike Maignan should have brought his beach towel for the first half in the hope of beating the locals to the sunloungers in the iconic Westfalenstadion.
Deschamps did try mixing it up from the off to cure his side’s yips down the other end of the pitch, with Bradley Barcola leading the line ahead of Mbappe. The PSG talent ensured France fielded their youngest lineup in a European Championships since 1960.
The majority of the chances, however, were falling to one man. After Ousmane Dembele had seen a good opening well saved by Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski, Mbappe poked an effort just wide, before his first golden opportunity of the game was spurned on the cusp of half time, Skorupski to the rescue again.
Two curling efforts from France’s talisman narrowly missed the target early in the second half, before he was given the opportunity to score his first-ever European Championship goal from the spot after Dembele had been fouled, converting with aplomb from 12 yards.
Then Mbappe felt the weight of a nation once more, as he tamely fired straight at Skorupski with the goal at his mercy. The game should have been done there and then.
Deschamps cut a relaxed figure on the touchline. The untroubled French rearguard was chasing a fifth consecutive clean sheet since Chile’s Daro Osorio scored against them in March. They may not always fill you with joie de vivre, but an impenetrable backline is their piece de resistance and, more often than not, the best defence can take you all the way.
Pre-technology, they may have cruised home to seal top spot in the group, but VAR granted the wishes of thousands of Poles on the Yellow Wall by spotting a foul by Dayot Upamecano in the penalty area, and you know who grabbed the ball.
Lewandowski started the tournament unsure whether he could drag his weary body through, missing Poland’s group opener through injury. He looked every inch a 35-year-old veteran as his poor spot kick was initially saved by Maignan.
However, with Maignan adjudged to have come too far off his line, Lewandowksi got another go and he wasn’t going to pass this one up, going for the same corner, but with more precision.
The Barcelona striker is now the third player to score at four or more European Championships – along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric – while he’s the only one to have netted at each of the last four editions.
There was still time for Mbappe and France to waste yet more openings, even as Deschamps shuffled his pack. A more difficult path to glory now awaits. Their star man is going to have to really do things the hard way now.