Kylian Mbappe scored a penalty on his return after breaking his nose but Robert Lewandowski‘s reply meant France and Poland drew 1-1 in their final group game at Euro 2024 on Tuesday. The result, combined with Austria’s 3-2 victory over the Netherlands at the same time, means France finish second in Group D with one win and two draws. Wearing a mask to protect his injured nose, Mbappe rolled in a spot-kick to put France ahead early in the second half in Dortmund after Ousmane Dembele was brought down in the Poland area. It was Mbappe’s first ever goal at a European Championship, and the first scored by a France player at this year’s tournament — their only prior counter was an own goal by Austria’s Maximilian Woeber.

Yet Lewandowski, Poland’s all-time top scorer who was himself starting for the first time at Euro 2024 after a thigh injury, equalised from a penalty at the other end 11 minutes from time.

His first kick was saved by Mike Maignan, but Lewandowski was allowed a retake as the France goalkeeper came off his line before the ball had been struck.

France will now head to Duesseldorf for a last-16 tie next Monday against the runners-up in Group E, which will be Belgium, Romania, Slovakia or Ukraine.

More significantly, they are now on the same side of the draw as Portugal, Spain and Germany, which they would have avoided by topping the group.

Often imprecise and lacking in intensity here, the 2022 World Cup runners-up will certainly need to improve on this performance, and their previous group outings, if they are to win the competition.

Poland had already been eliminated before this game, becoming the first team to go out after losing their opening two matches.

This result at least allowed Michal Probierz’s side to rescue some pride and gave some cheer to their large support.

It was not just the return of the masked Mbappe — who missed France’s 0-0 draw with the Netherlands — that was notable when the line-ups were announced, with Antoine Griezmann unusually left out of the starting XI.

Instead Bradley Barcola got his first start for his country as coach Didier Deschamps went with the front three that played together for Paris Saint-Germain over the past season.

Lewandowski, returning to the stadium where he made his name with Borussia Dortmund a decade ago, had one big chance in the first half, heading wide while unmarked from Piotr Zielinski‘s cross.

Mbappe spent much of the opening period struggling to get into the game, occasionally stopping to adjust his mask, and removing it entirely during a drinks break in sweltering conditions.

Theo Hernandez was the first France player to test Lukasz Skorupski, starting in goal instead of Wojciech Szczesny who is set to retire from the Poland team soon after the Euros.

Meanwhile Mbappe started to come to life towards the end of the opening half.

On two separate occasions he quickly exchanged passes with Barcola on the left side of the box before having a shot saved by Skorupski.

The Bologna goalkeeper then dived to his left to keep out a trademark Mbappe curler just after the restart, but there was nothing he could do about the penalty which broke the deadlock on 56 minutes.

Dembele’s end product had been almost non-existent until he produced a burst of pace on the right as he broke into the box, and all Jakub Kiwior could do was chop him down.

Italian referee Marco Guida immediately pointed to the spot, and Mbappe rolled in his kick before removing his mask as he ran off to celebrate.

Yet Poland did not lie down, and won a penalty of their own when substitute Karol Swiderski was tripped by Dayot Upamecano.

The referee initially waved play on, before changing his mind and pointing to the spot after being coaxed across to the VAR monitor.

Maignan saved Lewandowski’s first attempt after a stuttering run-up, but the Barcelona striker made no mistake at the second time of asking.

France vs Poland Live Streaming Euro 2024 Live Telecast: When And Where To Watch© AFP

The 2024 European Championship has been a breath of fresh air as 24 countries have been battling it out for the past week in an attempt to break through to the Round Of 16. The top two teams from each of the six groups will qualify to the next round with the four of the six best placed teams that finish third will also be guaranteed qualification. Hosts Germany, Spain and Portugal are the only three teams that have secured qualification as of now. Here are the qualification scenarios for each group heading into the final game-week

Group A: Germany vs Switzerland, Scotland vs Hungary

The Germans won their opening games against Scotland and Hungary which was enough for the hosts to guarantee their spot in the next round. In the history of the tournament, no team has ever failed to qualify for the knockout stages after getting four points which means Switzerland already have one foot in the Round of 16.

Scotland on the other hand have never qualified for the knockouts at the tournament and the side is aiming to achieve history if they were to win against Hungary in their final game. A win would take them to four points and although it would be difficult for them to overcome the six-goal difference that stands between them and the Swiss, A third place finish with four points could very likely see them qualify.

However a draw would see the side be in a very unlikely position to qualify depending on results from other groups.

Group B: Spain vs Albania, Italy vs Croatia

Spain has begun the tournament on the right note, securing qualification in the ‘Group of Death,’ in the second game week will see the side breathe a sigh of relief heading into their final fixture with Albania. Italy on the other hand will need to avoid defeat to secure their place in the next round. Croatia and Albania would both need to win to confirm qualification.

Group C: England vs Slovenia, Serbia vs Denmark

England must avoid defeat against Slovenia in their last group game to advance from Group C. A win will ensure Gareth Southgate’s team advances as group champions. If Denmark fails to beat Serbia, England will qualify regardless of the outcome against Slovenia.

Denmark and Slovenia will advance automatically as winners. Serbia will finish in the top two if they beat Denmark and Slovenia does not overcome England.

Group D: Netherlands vs Austria, France vs Poland

Poland became the first team to be eliminated from the race to the knockouts as they lost their opening two games against Netherlands and Austria.

Netherlands and France currently occupy the top two positions respectively after wins in their opening game followed by a draw against each other sees both teams at four points each and Austria not far behind with three points to their name.

If both France and the Dutch were to avoid defeat then they would guarantee qualification. However Austria will finish in the top two if they beat the Netherlands.

Group E: Ukraine v Belgium, Slovakia v Romania

This marks the first time in Euros history that all four teams have the identical number of points after two games. All four clubs know that a win on Wednesday will advance them to the round of 16, but no team can guarantee first place with a win.

A point will suffice for Belgium, who play Ukraine, and Romania, who face Slovakia.

If both games are drawn, goal difference will determine who finishes where (because all teams have the identical head-to-head points). Belgium and Romania will advance, with Slovakia aiming to be one of the top third-placed teams. Ukraine would be out.

Group F: Portugal vs Georgia, Czech Republic vs Turkey

Portugal have already qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament and they will be the table toppers if they were to avoid defeat against Georgia.

Both Czech Republic and Georgia will need to win if they want a shot at qualifying in the top two of the table. Georgia would also require Turkey to lose their game against Czech with the goal difference playing a part.

Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia and Albania are the top four best third placed teams in the tournament as of now.

Austria boosted their hopes of reaching the Euro 2024 knockout rounds on Friday as Marko Arnautovic scored in an impressive 3-1 win over Poland, for whom Robert Lewandowski only managed an ineffective substitute appearance. Ralf Rangnick’s Austria will likely secure qualification for the last 16 if they can avoid defeat in their final Group D game against the Netherlands on Tuesday. Poland can no longer finish in the top two and almost certainly need to defeat France to have any chance of progressing as one of the four best third-placed teams. Gernot Trauner headed Austria into a deserved early lead before Krzysztof Piatek, who had missed their opening loss to the Netherlands, equalised for Poland in the 30th minute.

Lewandowski was introduced for his first appearance of the tournament with half an hour remaining, but was a peripheral figure as Poland slipped to the brink of elimination.

Christoph Baumgartner put Austria back in front after a fine team move and an end-to-end game was killed off by Arnautovic’s 78th-minute penalty.

Austria, who reached the knockout phase at a major tournament for the first time since 1954 at Euro 2020, will be sure of going through if they defeat the Dutch, who face France later Friday.

Lewandowski was not fit enough to start after suffering a thigh injury last week, despite Poland coach Michal Probierz saying he was hopeful the Barcelona striker would be able to play.

Fans from the two countries, which both border Germany, packed out the Olympiastadion.

The Poland supporters who had made the short trip outnumbered their counterparts, but it was the wall of fans in red Austrian shirts who were bouncing up and down in celebration less than nine minutes in.

Their team started in dominant fashion and were rewarded with the lead when defender Trauner powered a header past Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny after clever wing play from left-back Phillipp Mwene.

Poland grew into the contest, though, and Nicola Zalewski passed up a good opportunity to equalise when he blazed over.

The two most recent meetings between the teams, in Euro 2020 qualifying, produced only one goal.

– Piatek strikes –

But an entertaining game this time was level just before the half-hour mark, as Piatek pounced to slot in from close range after Trauner blocked Jan Bednarek‘s shot.

Austria wasted an excellent chance to restore their advantage with a three-on-two attack, but Bednarek threw himself in the way of Marcel Sabitzer‘s effort.

Rangnick’s side almost found themselves behind in first-half added time when goalkeeper Patrick Pentz was forced into a diving stop by Piotr Zielinski‘s free-kick.

Austria began the second half brightly, with Szczesny holding Stefan Posch’s header.

A huge roar went up around the stadium as Lewandowski made his entrance in the 60th minute.

His only involvement of note was to pick up a yellow card shortly after coming on for catching Philipp Lienhart in the face with his elbow.

Austria moved back ahead with a wonderfully-worked goal in the 66th minute.

Arnautovic dummied substitute Alexander Prass’ incisive pass and Baumgartner took a touch and coolly placed the ball into the bottom corner.

Austria could have wrapped up the three points with 15 minutes left when Patrick Wimmer’s low strike was pushed to safety by the increasingly busy Szczesny.

But the third goal arrived shortly afterwards as Arnautovic calmly put away a penalty after Sabitzer bore down on goal and was felled by Szczesny.

Austria threatened to make the final scoreline embarrassing for Poland, with Szczesny making a brilliant fingertip stop from Posch’s long-range drive.

The Poles were suddenly a shambles and Konrad Laimer dribbled a shot wide of an open goal after rounding Sczcesny, but even that miss could not take the gloss off Austria’s third win at a major tournament in 34 years.

Poland vs Austria Live Streaming Euro 2024 Live Telecast: When And Where To Watch© AFP

Krakow:

Late evening, downtown Krakow goes from historic landmark to hub for stag nights, pub crawls and wild parties. Now, fed up with the ruckus, disgruntled locals are taking Poland’s second city to court.

The lawsuit filed this month, with backing from several dozen residents, accuses municipal authorities of not doing enough to address disturbances to public order, including loud noise and excessive drunkenness.

“Non-compliance with the law has become a symbol of tourism in Krakow,” Ryszard Rydiger, the lawyer behind the initiative, told AFP.

He likened the situation to something seen “nowhere else in Europe” and said tourists were behaving like “Tarzan from the Jungle” without consequence.

This is not the first time that Krakow — visited by a whopping 9.4 million tourists in 2023, according to city estimates — has grappled with challenges posed by its more unruly visitors.

Last year, there were 6,800 police interventions in the city centre, many of them for drinking alcohol and destroying public property. Two-thirds resulted in fines, according to municipal police spokesman Marek Aniol.

‘Heart of darkness’

While the lawsuit alleges that public disturbance issues are endemic to the entire Old Town, residents name Szewska Street as the problem’s epicentre.

“Every day of the week, until six in the morning, Szewska becomes a place of noisy gatherings,” reads the suit.

“The crowd, without any restrictions or effective response from city authorities, sings… shouts, fights, vomits… The noise emitted by the drunken rabble exceeds the standards permitted by law.”

The initiative was a good move, according to one resident, club promoter Jan, who called Szewska the “heart of darkness”.

“The city should intervene in some way,” the 23-year-old told AFP.

Noise and mess aside, Jan said that competition among clubs for higher numbers of late-night visitors also resulted in street fights.

He recounted the story of a friend who worked as a promoter on Szewska but had to quit due to the “heavy trauma” of violence from rivals.

Even beyond the dead centre, late-night debauchery can pose problems for locals.

“You can’t walk peacefully in the evening, or at night,” said Weronika, a 25-year-old doctor.

“The peace is very disturbed.”

‘City of Polish kings’

Krakow has taken steps to address the issue.

Mayor Aleksander Miszalski announced this week the appointment of a night official, as well as plans for a committee that would research the situation and offer solutions.

Last July, the city became Poland’s first to ban alcohol sales from midnight until 5:30 am, a move supported by more than half of residents.

Police said that in the first six months, interventions were down by half and fewer intoxicated people landed in sobering-up centres.

For the past three years, Krakow has also employed “City Helpers” during the high season — night-time volunteers tasked with providing information to tourists and calling police if need be.

The municipality has also released numerous advertising campaigns geared towards bringing out-of-towners into line and reducing public disturbances.

“Of course we need tourists,” said Jan. “It’s just that there needs to be appropriate legislation so that we have the tourists, but without the noise, mess and crap.”

What began as a public safety operation in 2021 later evolved into a targeted campaign against Britons, who are known for indulging in stag nights in Krakow.

While initial posters around the city urged both residents and visitors to respect others’ space, be on “good behaviour” and “keep belongings safe”, the latest campaign was much more blunt.

“You are in the city of Polish kings,” the posters read. “This deserves respect.”

Rydiger said these “actions go in the right direction” but are “completely initial” in terms of addressing the problem.

“For years, the tourism policy has been ‘come, come, come’, but it has not been about setting clear boundaries on what can and cannot be done,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Netherlands beat Poland in Euro 2024 encounter© AFP

Poland vs Netherlands Live Streaming Euro 2024 Live Telecast: When And Where To Watch© AFP

Warsaw:

A man suspected of aiding a plot by Russian intelligence services to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been arrested in Poland, Polish and Ukrainian prosecutors said Thursday.

The Polish national, named only as Pawel K., is suspected of supplying information to Russian military intelligence and “helping the Russian special forces to plan a possible assassination attempt” against Zelensky, said a statement from Polish prosecutors.

It said the suspect had stated he was “ready to act on behalf of the military intelligence services of the Russian Federation and established contact with Russian citizens directly involved in the war in Ukraine”.

Ukrainian prosecutors had informed Poland about the activities, which had enabled them to gather “essential evidence” against the suspect, the statement added.

Ukraine’s chief prosecutor Andriy Kostin said the suspect had been tasked with “gathering and transmitting to the aggressor state information about security at Rzeszow-Jasionka airport” in southeastern Poland.

Zelensky frequently passes through the airport on his trips abroad. It is also used by foreign officials and aid convoys heading to Ukraine.

The suspect is in detention pending judicial procedures, the two countries’ prosecutors said.

“This case underscores the persistent threat Russia poses not only to Ukraine and Ukrainians but to the entire free world,” Kostin wrote on X, the former Twitter.

“The Kremlin’s criminal regime… organises and carries out sabotage operations on the territory of other sovereign states,” he added.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski commended the work of his country’s special services and prosecutors in the operation as well as cooperation with neighbouring Ukraine.

Warsaw has been one of Kyiv’s staunchest backers since the Russian invasion in February 2022, although ties have frayed recently in a dispute over agricultural imports.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)