World Cup: Mbappe & Giroud shine as France thrash Australia - reaction

1. Giroud scores twice to equal Henry's record as France's all-time top scorer with 51
2. Rabiot and Mbappe also score headers as France dominate
3. Goodwin had given Australia shock early lead
4. World champions France beginning their campaign in Qatar

Kylian Mbappe does almost get his goal. He bursts into the box afte a one-two and is tackled at the last moment. Corner.

Two shots on target, two goals for France but Kylian Mbappe in particular will feel Les Bleus ought to have helped themselves to more.

The lesson learned from Argentina's defeat this morning has to be to finish the game when in control.

At least France have not been caught offside yet - Lionel Messi and co had three first-half 'goals' ruled out by the assistant referee against Saudi Arabia.

Kylian Mbappe tries to backheel the ball into Antoine Griezmann but it's cut out.

Shades of me in the Press Association five-a-side league for PA Baracus.

France are dictating play but at quite a slow pace.

SUBSTITUTION

Former Scotland international Jason Cummings comes on for the booked Mitchell Duke.

This is only his second Australia cap. He was born in Edinburgh to an Australian mother.

YELLOW CARD

Ousmane Dembele knocks the ball past Mitchell Duke, who wipes him out and gets a yellow card.

Getty Images

Getty Images

France have a free-kick on the left wing as Jackson Irvine fouls Theo Hernandez. Kylian Mbappe crosses and curls it wide of the far post.

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Chris Sutton

Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

Shouldn't be doing that 36 should he?! It's great athleticism, so acrobatic. He catches it flush as well, it's a couple yards wide but excellent execution.

Oh my. Theo Hernandez clips in a cross from the left which Olivier Giroud meets with a sensational acrobatic volley - a few degrees off a bicycle kick - but it goes just wide of the far post. Wonderful technique.

Moments earlier Aurelien Tchouameni had a shot blocked from another Hernandez ball.

Antoine Griezmann clears the corner with a diving header at his near post.

Australia are out on the attack early on but a cross is cut out. They win a corner though. Can they make this count?

France have won 22 of their 23 World Cup matches in which they were leading at half-time.

The exception was a 1-1 draw with South Korea in the 2006 group stage.

KICK-OFF

Here we go. Can France see this out - or are there more twists to come?

Is this the longest half-time break ever? Feels like it.

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has hit back at criticism accusing European teams at the World Cup of having no "backbone" after they decided against wearing the OneLove armband.

The captains of seven countries, including England and Wales, planned to wear the armband during matches to promote diversity and inclusion.

But the plans were dropped because of Fifa's threat of players being booked.

The captains are instead wearing Fifa-approved 'No Discrimination' armbands.

"I play in a position where a yellow card is not useful. I became a football player and I want to play these kind of tournaments," Van Dijk told Dutch broadcaster NOS.

Read more here.

Tchouameni drives France forward

France's improvement was driven by Aurelien Tchouameni as the Real Madrid man began to exert control in midfield.

As the below graphic shows, he has regained possession all the way across the middle of the park, winning more tackles than anyone else and pushing Australia back.

That has propelled Les Bleus up the field and allowed the creative outlets further forward to cause problems.

Opta

Adrien Rabiot is the first France player to both score and assist a goal on his World Cup debut since Christophe Dugarry against South Africa in June 1998.

Here is the goal which gave France the lead.