Kazan: France needed the help of the first World Cup penalty awarded by Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and a deflected Paul Pogba goal to get their campaign underway with a scrappy 2-1 win over Australia here Saturday.
Striker Antoine Griezmann lashed home the historic spot kick in the 58th minute but Australia hit back with a penalty of their own when Samuel Umtiti inexplicably handled the ball in the box four minutes later.
Socceroos skipper Mile Jedinak sent his French counterpart Hugo Lloris the wrong way from the spot to give Australia hope of forcing a draw at the Kazan Arena only for Pogba to grab the winner in the 81st minute.
“The first match is always a big one and we’re very happy to have won today,” said France coach Didier Deschamps after the match.
“It was a difficult match, it was complicated and the Australian team were very good. We were not quick enough in our transition from defence to attack and that favoured Australia.”
However, it was a tough first half for the Les Blues as Griezmann, teenager Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele fail to spark while it was the yellow-clad Aussie fans who have invaded the Tatar capital in recent days who had most to cheer about.
Even Pogba’s goal might not have stood in the days before technology was brought into the game with the midfielder’s shot looping off the shin of Aziz Behich, hitting the crossbar and bouncing down inside the goal before coming back out.
Referee Andres Cunha, though, simply checked the goal-line monitor on his watch and pointed to the centre circle as Australia keeper Mat Ryan stood appealing with the ball in his hands.
The Uruguayan official had earlier stood by the side of the pitch to watch the challenge by Josh Risdon on Griezmann on the VAR monitor and decided the Australia right back had brought the French striker down in the area.
Meanwhile, Mbappe made history at kick-off by becoming the youngest French player, at 19 and six months, to start a World Cup game. France incidentally is also the second youngest team in the tournament after Nigeria.
