Manchester United defender Raphael Varane found himself in the thick of the action as reigning champions France routinely progressed into the World Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over Poland on Sunday afternoon - setting up a potential last-8 meeting with England who play Senegal tonight.
Varane, 29, feared his World Cup dream might be over before it had begun when he limped off for United during a 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the Premier League in October. However, after battling back to fitness, he was yet again imperious for Les Bleus to underline his worth for club and country.
Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe (2) stole the headlines, with goals in each half at the Al Thumama Stadium, but in one of the game's key moments, it was Varane who was needed to thwart Poland with an off-the-line clearance. It was Varane who, also, kept tabs on opposition talisman Robert Lewandowski who remained quiet throughout despite a late penalty which the Barcelona striker netted after it had to be retaken for infringement.
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Varane had one heart-in-mouth moment, though, after crashing into Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny from a set-piece upon the restart. Fortunately, both players were able to continue and the former Real Madrid man stayed on-field for the duration as France made it through to the last-8.
The Manchester United defender's performance in the last 16 clash was impressive - particularly when you consider his statistics from the game. Varane completed 40 passes during the game - with an admirable 91% pass accuracy during the tie.
Despite heading into the tournament with fitness concerns, Varane has now played 228 minutes over three games after sitting out their Group D opener against Australia. Providing that England make it through tonight, Varane will meet a few familiar faces in the next stage.
United defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw have started all three matches for England so far before the last-16 showdown against Senegal, while Marcus Rashford made his mark against Wales with two goals. It has been a solid tournament for United players - with Bruno Fernandes among those to shine for Portugal.
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