France’s Adrien Rabiot proves he’s ready to put World Cup and Man Utd snubs behind him

FRANCE 4-1 AUSTRALIA: Les Bleus were trailing in their World Cup opener until midfielder Adrien Rabiot grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and showed why Manchester United were so keen to sign him

Adrien Rabiot scored France’s equaliser as they fought back from a goal down to beat Australia (

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Adrien Rabiot’s attitude has cost him the chance of a World Cup medal and a move to Manchester United.

But Le Sulk had reasons to be cheerful as France began the defence of their title in the Al Janoub Stadium. With the third day of the tournament beginning to resemble the third-round of the FA Cup, Rabiot scored one and then set up another for Olivier Giroud to take the spring out of the Socceroos.

Kylian Mbappe and Giroud then really made the Aussies pay for giving Les Bleus a bloody nose through Craig Goodwin’s early strike. Giroud’s 51st international strike means he has now joined Thierry Henry as France’s record goalscorer.

Four years ago, Rabiot refused Didier Deschamps’ offer of a place on the standby list for Russia and watched from home as the players who did go lifted the trophy. In the summer, he blew the chance to move to Old Trafford from when United refused to meet wage demands that were said to be extortionate by the club that paid Cristiano Ronaldo £500,000-a-week.

United fans might not forget – but the French will if he continues like this. Rabiot has been given an opportunity by injuries to Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. He seems intent on taking it.

Rabiot powers home a header to bring France level after Australia’s opening goal (

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Just hours after Saudi Arabia’s humbling of Argentina, the Aussies briefly threatened to produce another giantkilling. Goodwin swept Graham Arnold’s side into a ninth-minute lead with a far-post finish that Kylian Mbappe would have been proud of, never mind a journeyman from Adelaide United.

And Mitchell Duke, a striker born in Liverpool – New South Wales not Merseyside – and playing in the Japanese second division, came within inches of putting the Aussie’s further ahead with a long-range drive that would have been one of the goals of the tournament had it not curled wide at the last split-second.

Olivier Giroud scores France’s second goal past Mathew Ryan in the Australia goal (

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Then Rabiot decided to intervene. To be fair, Mbappe was already giving Aussie right-back Nathaniel Atkinson a dose of twisted blood.

But it needed Rabiot’s far-post header from substitute Theo Hernandez’s cross to draw France level in the 27th minute. Even coach Didier Deschamps, never a beast in the air given his lack of inches, instinctively nodded his head when the ball came in.

Kylian Mbappe wheels away in celebration after scoring (

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Five minutes later, Rabiot joined Mbappe in making Atkinson’s life a misery. First he overpowered the full-back as Australia tried to play out from the back and then he swapped passes with Mbappe before giving Giroud a tap-in.

Mbappe blew the chance of finishing the game before the break when he tried to tear a hole the back of the net and volleyed over from eight yards. Mbappe may have got up smirking, but when Duke immediately sent a header bouncing against the outside of Hugo Lloris’ post, he was given a reminder that Australians do enjoy a scrap.

France players celebrate with Olivier Giroud after his second goal (

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If it was Rabiot’s intervention that turned the contest France’s way in the first 45 minutes then the second half belonged to Mbappe. He showcased all the tricks of his trade and scored his fifth goal at World Cup tournaments when he met Ousmane Dembele’s cross with a meaty downward header in the 68th minute.

That’s as many as Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini.

Three minutes later, he served up the kind of delicious cross that has always been meat and drink to Giroud and the striker went into the record books with a nod of his brow.