Giroud equals Henry’s goal record as France survive scare to thrash Australia

Lucas Hernandez was on the ground, writhing in pain with a stretcher on its way. Hugo Lloris could at least get back up but was enduring another sort of agony entirely, having dived too low when the ball was heading for the net's roof.

The alternative narrative is that France are notoriously slow starters at World Cup finals and they needed just another 18 minutes for Adrien Rabiot to equalise and another five after that for Olivier Giroud to score the first of his two goals. Giroud is now level with Thierry Henry's all-time record of 51.

That the game did not blow out further was partly through France's profligacy - they had 23 shots to Australia's four - and partly Australia's tenacity in the face of this exorbitantly talented team.

The opening goal came from nowhere. Stoke's Harry Souttar unleashed a long diagonal ball that Mat Leckie brought down deftly, skipped past Lucas Hernandez and clipped a teasing cross that fizzed enticingly across the face of goal until Goodwin pounced and the net bulged as Lloris leapt in vain.

That was especially evident after Griezmann forced a corner, which did not clear the first defender. But when the ball landed at Theo Hernandez's feet he curled it brilliantly for Rabiot, completely unmarked, to head home past Mat Ryan.

Giroud had been on the hunt from the start. The 36-year-old forward endured a barren 2018 finals and the record books were beckoning. He headed one attempt high, but minutes later made it count when Atkinson was caught out of possession.

This display was not without hairy moments, most notably when Irvine hit the post while Lloris simply stood there and watched, as if in slow motion. He had never been luckier for that lick of paint.

But it already seems likely France will become the second champions in the past five World Cup tournaments to advance from the group stage.