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Kylian Mbappe came of age in Kazan with a stunning second half double to fire France into the World Cup quarter-finals and leave Lionel Messi\u2019s Argentina heading home.<\/p>\nKylian Mbappe came of age in Kazan with a stunning second half double to fire France into the World Cup quarter-finals and leave Lionel Messi\u2019s Argentina heading home.<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old striker scored twice in five minutes just past the hour mark as Didier Deschamps\u2019 men stormed back from behind to seal a 4-3 victory in a seven-goal thriller which will live long in the memory.<\/p>\n
An enthralling contest saw goal-of-the-tournament contenders from both Angel Di Maria and Benjamin Pavard and even an improbably dramatic finale after Sergio Aguero\u2019s injury-time effort gave Argentina hope.<\/p>\n
Antoine Griezmann had given France an early lead from the penalty spot and Jorge Sampaoli\u2019s side only stirred after Di Maria lashed home a superb 30-yard effort shortly before half-time.<\/p>\n
Gabriel Mercado poked Argentina into the lead before Pavard\u2019s stunning equalizer paved the way for the audacious Mbappe to take the game by the scruff of its neck.<\/p>\n
Amid it all stood the forlorn figure of Lionel Messi, who was rendered a virtual bit-part player in his so-called \u2018false nine\u2019 position, shorn of the influence with which he has turned so many previous games in his favor.<\/p>\n
Beleaguered Sampaoli had insisted his side would approach the game \u201cwith a knife between their teeth\u201d but as with their group stage campaign there was little sign of anything incisive early on.<\/p>\n
Griezmann had already hit the bar before he gave France the lead from the penalty shot in the 13th minute after Mbappe was fouled by Marcos Rojo in the box.<\/p>\n
The impressive Paul Pogba fired over the bar and France looked set to win the game at will before Di Maria changed the momentum four minutes before the break, smashing home a brilliant left-footed shot from long-range.<\/p>\n
The recovery was complete three minutes into the second half when Mercado deflected effort into the net, but the response from Deschamps\u2019 men proved simply devastating.<\/p>\n
First Pavard let fly with a right-footed effort which was every inch the equal of Di Maria\u2019s strike to draw France level in the 57th minute.<\/p>\n
Six minutes later a left-wing cross from Lucas Hernandez was only half-cleared from the Argentina box and fell to Mbappe, who took one touch before slotting home beneath keeper Franco Armani.<\/p>\n
And neither France nor Mbappe were finished, with the teenager increasing his tally in the 68th minute when he was fed by Olivier Giroud on the right side of the box and duly dispatched his second of the game.<\/p>\n
Yet there was still to be one final twist as Aguero stooped to head home Messi\u2019s cross into the box two minutes into injury time, giving Argentina hope of an outrageous recovery.<\/p>\n
They pushed forward desperately in the dying seconds but the referee\u2019s whistle led to wild celebrations and the sense that Messi could have handed over the mantle to a new superstar of the game.<\/p>\n