Rabiot, France come back to lead Australia at half
Published
France restored order after Australia jumped out to a shock lead in their opening match at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
After Craig Goodwin had stunned the defending champions with a ninth-minute goal, Adrien Rabiot leveled the match before setting up Olivier Giroud to make it 2-1 at the half.
The Socceroos scored the earliest goal at the World Cup, thus far, when Goodwin finished off a fine team move with great work from Harry Souttar and Mathew Leckie to make it 1-0 in the ninth minute.
Stunned, Les Bleus would manage to fight back through Juve's Rabiot.
After failing to completely clear an Antoine Griezmann corner, Theo Hernandez's cross back into the box was met by Rabiot's header to even matters at 1-1 in the 27th.
Rabiot would play provider only minutes later. Pouncing on a giveaway, Rabiot fed Giroud for his 50th international goal in the 32nd to make it 2-1.
Kylian Mbappé should have added a third in the late stages of the half, but scuffed a Griezmann cross over the bar.