The European derby at the 2022 World Cup kicked off with a bang, as Denmark took on France in Qatar.

Frenchman Ousmane Dembele made the first attack 6 minutes into the game, edging his way towards the Danish goal, where his shot was blocked. The rejection did little to keep the French away from the penalty box, with Olivier Giroud striking towards goal with no avail.

French free kicks, corners and crosses continued to bombard the Danish box, though no balls made it over the line as the clock neared the 20 minute mark.

The Danes started to fight back, with Andreas Christensen taking down superstar Kylian Mbappe, while Andreas Cornelius dented into Giroud.

At 35 minutes, Denmark’s Jesper Lindstrom took his chance but missed the posts. Moments later, Giroud took another shot. Despite dominating the first half, France failed to find the back of the net.

France pick up

France welcome the second half with yet more dominance and the game play appears to be concentrated one side of the pitch. At 61 minutes a goal by Mbappe comes as no surprise.

However, the Danes got back on their feet with Christensen delivering a powerful header that equalised the scoreboard, to the sound of cheering fans. With the competition now level, the contest heated up.

Several attempts at goal were made by both sides, though a clumsy moment by the Danes saved them from another French goal. Soon after, Rabiot lifted himself into the air for a fantastic scissor kick that sent the ball flying over the bar.

With the countdown to the final whistle looming around the corner, a determined France continued the fight, with yet another goal from Mbappe that secured the win.