3 things that went wrong for Australia against France

#2 Gulf in class

The Socceroos exceeded expectations on the afternoon but could not hold on

In the end France did just about enough to get themselves over the line but perhaps in the most uncharacteristic way possible. Les Bleus were expected to hit the ground running straight from kick-off but things did not go according to plan and were forced to wait patiently, until the 52nd minute to open the scoring.

Just like Australian winger Mathew Leckie rightfully pointed out yesterday, France on paper would prove too much to handle for them but the sheer unpredictability of the beautiful game ensured we witnessed a highly contested fixture, right from the referee's first whistle to kick-start proceedings in Kazan.

Despite staking a claim to take something away from the game, the inevitable gulf in class between the two sides coupled with a tinge of fortune ultimately turned the game in France's favour in the end.