France vs Australia player ratings: France pushed close by Australia but VAR overshadows Paul Pogba winner

Man-for-man marking from France’s 2-1 victory over Australia

France edged Australia out in Kazan this afternoon but it will be VAR making all the headlines following Les Bleus controversial penalty decision.

Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring shortly before the hour-mark with the game’s most notable moment after it had appeared that Josh Ridson narrowly won the ball in a last-ditch lunge on the Atletico Madrid star.

However, the Uruguayan referee Andres Cunha reversed his original decision and gave France the penalty, much to the Australians’ despair.

The Socceroos responded with a penalty of their own five minutes later, VAR not necessary to spot Samuel Umtiti’s ridiculous handball – Mile Jedinak punishing him with a cooly slotted spotkick.

But technology ruled the roost of this game, correctly for the winning goal it must be added, as Olivier Giroud and Paul Pogba linked up with the latter prodding the ball over Mat Ryan and centimetres over the line.

So how did the players perform? See our ratings in the gallery above.