Senegal at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, collecting a 10th win from their last 12 internationals as Kylian Mbappé became Les Bleus’ all-time leading goalscorer.
Hotly-fancied by many to go all the way in this tournament, France certainly went some way to justifying their status as one of the pre-tournament favourites by pinning Senegal in their own half for most of the opening quarter.
The biggest compliment to be paid to Pape Thiaw’s side is that they didn’t allow France to create any clear-cut chances, with a blocked pot-shot from Ousmane Dembélé the only effort Didier Deschamps’ men managed in that period of his 20th WC game in charge.
Despite Les Bleus’ dominance, it was Senegal who manufactured the first big chance of the game when a sweeping counter attack ended with Nicolas Jackson beating Dayot Upamecano all ends up, before his effort crashed against the post and trickled behind after hitting Mike Maignan’s trailing leg. After a flying start, the game completely turned in favour of the African side, who squandered a glorious chance on the stroke of HT.
Sadio Mané did the heavy lifting in the build up, charging down the left before picking out the unmarked Ismaïla Sarr who volleyed over from six yards out.
Whatever Deschamps said to his side at HT seemed to do the trick, as the French flew out of the traps in the second half. Désiré Doué fired in the first warning shot when his left-footed effort bent just wide of the post within two minutes of the restart, before Michael Olise strode through Senegal’s defence with ease and saw his drive deflected over the top by Édouard Mendy.
The Senegalese stopper produced another stunning stop just moments later to deny Kylian Mbappé, but after being denied a penalty in controversial circumstances, he wasn’t to be denied twice as he latched onto Olise’s deft ball in behind to sweep home and draw level with Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading scorer.
Mendy’s outstretched leg prevented Doué from making the closing stages a little more comfortable for France, who were given a scare when Jackson hammered an effort into the roof of the net only for the assistant referee’s flag to cut short his celebrations. Substitute Bradley Barcola momentarily soothed any lingering nerves eight minutes from time though, timing his run to perfection to latch onto Adrien Rabiot’s measured ball before dinking over Mendy.
Ibrahim Mbaye then appeared to have given Senegal a chance when his stunning solo strike was too hot for Maignan to handle in the France goal, but the ever reliable Mbappé struck his 14th WC goal from all of 30 yards to move within two of Miroslav Klose’s all-time record and seal a victory built on a sensational second-half performance in which Les Bleus staked their claim as one of the WC frontrunners.
