Kylian Mbappe scored twice to lead France to a 3-1 win over Senegal in FIFA World Cup Group I match on Tuesday and become his country’s all-time top goal-scorer.
France had to work hard for their victory against Senegal. While the African side looked the better team in the first half, but France stepped up after the break.
As expected, captain Mbappe led the way. He finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute, finding space in Senegal’s defence before finishing calmly.
Substitute Bradley Barcola doubled France’s lead later in the game and Mbappe then made history in stoppage time. Moments after Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal, Mbappe fired a stunning long-range strike to score his 58th goal for France, moving past Olivier Giroud as the country’s all-time leading scorer.
“I want to leave my mark on the history of French football and help my team win the World Cup,” Mbappe said.
“We’re not at our best yet, but it’s always important to start a tournament with a win. It gives you confidence, even though you can never fully relax at a World Cup.”
Senegal started brightly and caused France plenty of problems. Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr were particularly dangerous, while France struggled to find their rhythm.
Jackson nearly gave Senegal the lead after a quick counterattack. He burst into the box and hit the post with a low shot before the ball bounced off goalkeeper Mike Maignan’s heel and out for a corner.
Mbappe had a quiet first half by his standards, misplacing passes and finding little room against Senegal’s well-organised defence.
With Aurelien Tchouameni often dropping deep into defence, Adrien Rabiot was left with a lot to do in midfield. France mainly attacked through the wings, using Desire Doue and Michael Olise, or by playing direct balls towards Mbappe.
Senegal missed a golden chance just before half-time. Sadio Mane raced down the left and delivered an excellent cross to the unmarked Sarr, but he blasted it over the bar from close range.
France looked much sharper after halftime and were unhappy when they were not awarded a penalty in the 58th minute. VAR asked the referee to review a challenge by Mane on Mbappe inside the box, but the original decision stood.
The breakthrough finally came when Olise picked up the ball on the right and threaded a precise pass through the defence. Mbappe timed his run perfectly and finished with composure.
France made it 2-0 in the 82nd minute when Rabiot sent Barcola through on goal. The substitute, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes, cleverly chipped the ball over goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Senegal gave themselves a lifeline in the 95th minute. Mbaye beat Theo Hernandez with a brilliant piece of skill before smashing his shot into the top corner.
However, Mbappe had the final say. Deep into stoppage time, he unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box that flew into the top-left corner, sealing France’s win in spectacular fashion.
