Raphael Varane gave passionate half-time pep talk to France teammates against Poland

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Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane gave a passionate half-time pep talk to his France teammates in Les Bleus’ 3-1 win versus Poland.

The reigning world champions may have been leading the Poles 1-0 at half-time thanks to Oliver Giroud’s strike, which saw the AC Milan striker overtake Thierry Henry as France’s leading all-time scorer.

But United’s number 19 was far from happy with what he saw in the opening 45 minutes of the round of 16 clash.

With the game goalless, the 29-year-old cleared a Polish outfit off the line to prevent his side going behind.

Raphael Varane gave passionate half-time pep talk to France teammates against Poland

According to L’Equipe, the four-time Champions League winner was the man to deliver the “big moment” during the half-time break.

On his 90th appearance for France, the former Real Madrid defender said: “We are in the round of 16 of the World Cup, we are living a dream, but everything can end at any time if we continue like this.

“We need to show something else on the field.”

Dider Deschamps’ side went on to run out comfortable 3-1 winners with France superstar Kylian Mbappe scoring a brace in the second half.

Following England’s 3-1 win against Senegal on Sunday night, Varane will come up against his Manchester United teammates Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford in the quarter-finals.

Varane will be up against Three Lions captain Harry Kane who got off the mark in Qatar by netting England’s second against the reigning African Cup of Nations holders.

The Frenchman has already kept England’s talisman quiet this season after Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils beat Antonio Conte’s Spurs 2-0 at Old Trafford earlier in the campaign.

But unlike in October at the Theatre of Dreams, Varane will not have Lisandro Martinez alongside him come Saturday night in Qatar when England France go toe-to-toe for a spot in the World Cup semi-finals.