Age gap no factor for France duo

Thirteen years separate France strikers Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud but their devastating double act in the 3-1 last-16 defeat of Poland and their overall showing so far at the World Cup showed the age gap is no barrier to a flourishing relationship.

Giroud, at 36, brings experience and guile to France's attack, while Mbappe, 23, is blessed with pace so explosive that the screens at the Al Thumama Stadium showed him hitting a top of speed of 35 kph (22 mph) as he tormented Poland's defence.

It was not supposed to be this way in Qatar. Giroud looked set for a secondary role for the World Cup holders until the team's number one centre forward Karim Benzema pulled out with an injury on the eve of the tournament.

Mbappe and Benzema have forged a promising partnership for France in the past but the young PSG striker has said previously that Giroud's approach to attack probably suited him better.

That understanding was clear for all to see as Poland were cut apart by France's strikers.

A defence-splitting pass by Mbappe set up Giroud to break the deadlock - and become France's all-time top goalscorer - in the 44th minute of the mismatch, with Poland chasing shadows for most of it.

The goal also made Giroud - at 36 years and 65 days old - the oldest scorer in a World Cup knockout match since Cameroon's Roger Milla against Colombia in 1990 in a last-16 game.

"Giroud is an incredible player, there are many who say it now," French coach Didier Deschamps told reporters. "He was much criticised but Olivier has the mindset to fight. When he is not decisive, he is so useful to the team but like any centre forward, he prefers the collective victory, but winning with this goal-scoring record, it's not nothing."

Giroud, who plays for AC Milan after making his name in England with Arsenal and Chelsea, returned the favour when it was Mbappe's turn to get on the scoresheet.

He launched a 74th-minute counter-attack that ended with the France number 10 using all his power to hammer a shot past Wojciech Szczesny in Poland's goal.

With Giroud substituted, Mbappe went on to claim his second goal, curling a shot into the top corner in added time before Robert Lewandowski claimed a penalty consolation goal for Poland.

The brace meant Mbappe became the youngest to reach five knockout-stage goals at a World Cup since Brazil great Pele in 1958, when he was 17.

While France's defence showed it was far from impregnable at times, their quarterfinal opponents England will not have missed how Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann and substitute Marcus Thuram also dazzled.

The way France piled forward in numbers from the start of Sunday's match drew a sharp contrast with Poland's approach as Lewandowski, one of the world's most prolific strikers, was left to play a lone role. He had publicly called on Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz last year to give him a strike partner.

Meanwhile, between them, Mbappe and Giroud have scored eight of France's nine goal so far in the tournament, and it doesn't seem it will stop there with Les Blues bidding to be the first team to defend the title since Brazil in 1962.