France's ideal scenario will be to contain the Barcelona forward and avoid ending the game on penalties, which are certainly not keeper Hugo Lloris's cup of tea.
And to think that the 24-year-old forward had nearly missed the World Cup bus.
It was, possibly, the biggest takeaway from France's victory. They can win when Mbappe does not shine or score, and his reaction to Giroud's goal proved Deschamps's point when he said he did not need to manage the Paris St Germain forward's ego.
Kylian Mbappe's meteoric rise showed no sign of stopping as the France forward sealed the holders' 2-1 win against Denmark to send them into the last 16 of the World Cup on Saturday.
Griezmann thankful for thankless role in France side
"They have experienced players. Obviously, Lewandowski is a stand-out player, one of the best strikers in the world. We should not underestimate them." said coach Didier Deschamps.
The French in 2002, Italy in 2010, Spain in 2014 and Germany in 2018 all followed their stuttering starts as champions by bombing out in the group stage.
France defender Benjamin Pavard made a spectacular comeback to the team as his superb second-half strike saw them beat Ireland 1-0 away in Euro 2024 qualifying Group B match.
Theo Hernandez's high hooked finish from a deflected Kylian Mbappe shot put the defending champions ahead and forced Walid Regragui's team to take the initiative, ending the game with more possession than Les Bleus.
As England tightened their grip on Euro 2024 qualifying and France maintained their perfect run, hosts Germany's troubles deepened.
The Tunisian captain's goal mobilised the French into action, with Deschamps bringing in stars like Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann to jump-start an attack that had so far been tepid.
36-year-old target man Giroud put the World Cup holders ahead at 2-1 with a tap-in after 32 minutes and added his second in the 71st to make the score 4-1 with a header from a Kylian Mbappe cross.
Benzema enjoyed a stellar campaign with Real Madrid last season, scoring 44 goals in 46 games in all competitions as he inspired them to a La Liga and Champions League double.
A reshuffled France drew 1-1 away to Croatia in their second Nations League game on Monday, four days after an opening defeat by Denmark.
Reigning champions France take on Argentina in a showpiece final at Lusail Stadium with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest.
Images from the FIFA World Cup match between France and Poland on Sunday.
Glimpses from Sunday's Nations League matches.
France will play Argentina, who are also looking to win the World Cup for the third time, in Sunday's final at the Lusail Stadium.
World champions France are facing mounting injuries ahead of their Euro 2020 Round of 16 match against Switzerland on Monday, with coach Didier Deschamps struggling for options.
Kylian Mbappe is now expected to be paired with his favoured attacking partner in Olivier Giroud.
Lionel Messi's second-half goal gave Argentina a 1-0 home win over Ecuador on Thursday to get their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign off on the right foot.
Images from the Nations League football matches played on Thursday.
A round-up of Friday's action in the UEFA Nations League.
Deschamps said Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was called up as a late replacement for Pogba.
He owes his place in the team in Qatar to Karim Benzema's absence and will start again when the defending champions take on England in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
With no clear sense of direction being set by Deschamps' selections, it may be up to the players to find their own way to deal with Messi.
Griezmann played mainly deep, but also often close to lone striker Giroud or even on the flanks.
France started the Qatar tournament in style with a 4-1 win against Australia, but Denmark will be a sterner test at the 974 Stadium.
'We've had consistent performances over three tournaments. Tonight is the best we've played against a major nation since I've been in charge, but we have fallen short. In the end, the scoreline is what matters.'
Didier Deschamps, for whom a 0-0 draw with Denmark was 'mission accomplished' as his side finished top of Group C ahead of the Danes.
Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, who won the 2022 Ballon d'Or award, is also in the shortlist.
The world champions crashed out of the Euros last year at the round of 16 stage after losing to Switzerland.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi said defending champions France and Brazil are the favourites to win the World Cup in Qatar as they have a core group of players who have played together for a long time.
France coach Didier Deschamps heaped praise on his players after they reached the World Cup final with a 1-0 win over Belgium on Tuesday, saying the lost final at Euro 2016 was still on his mind.
Didier Deschamps is confident he has prepared his players for any tactical surprises his opposite number Roberto Martinez might spring
Zinedine Zidane will not be taking over as coach of the French national team any time soon as Didier Deschamps will remain in that job for the rest of his contract,
Both players have been timed among the fastest in the game, with top speeds of around 36.5kpm (22.6 mph), but it is how quickly they get there that makes them different.
World champions France won the Nations League final with goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe earning them a 2-1 win over Spain at the San Siro stadium on Sunday.
"We've once again shown the rest of the world that English football is healthy and we've got some players not only for now but for the future as well."
France coach Didier Deschamps did not hide his bitter disappointment after finding himself on the losing end of a final for a change on Sunday.
