- Summary
PHILADELPHIA, June 21 (Reuters) – Kylian Mbappe said France’s array of attacking talent gives them a more offensive edge than the squads who reached the last two World Cup finals as Les Bleus seek to secure a place in the knockout stage with victory over Iraq on Monday.
France recovered from a sluggish first half to beat Senegal 3-1 in their opening Group I match, with Mbappe scoring twice and Michael Olise earning widespread praise after a second-half display that highlighted the firepower at Didier Deschamps’ disposal.
“This is a more attacking team than in 2018 and 2022, a team that is much more geared towards going forward,” Mbappe told reporters on Sunday.
“The second half was already a glimpse of what we can do when we’re in good technical conditions.”
Mbappe said the understanding between himself, Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue was beginning to take shape and could make France increasingly difficult to contain as the tournament progresses.
“We had that connection with Michael because the four of us in attack managed to be perfectly coordinated in terms of movement, positioning and rotations,” he said.
“With this type of movement and rotation, maybe tomorrow it will be two other attacking players who shine more. The advantage of this team is having so much talent. We are very aware of the quality we have up front.”
MBAPPE DEFENDS DEMBELE
The France captain also brushed aside suggestions that Ballon d’Or winner Dembele underperformed against Senegal.
“In the first half, he’s the best attacker out of the four. He’s the one who makes our play flow the most,” Mbappe said after rewatching the match twice.
“Then in the second half, Michael and I were decisive, but Ousmane also contributed.”
Mbappe praised Dembele’s movement for creating the space that allowed France’s attack to flourish after the break.
“That doesn’t show up in the statistics but it’s very important because otherwise we wouldn’t have scored,” he said.
“Ousmane is very calm. He’s the Ballon d’Or winner. He has the confidence of the team and the staff. I’m sure from tomorrow onwards he will continue moving forward and grow stronger.”
Dembele scored 35 goals in all competitions in the 2024-25 season as Paris St Germain won their first Champions League title.
“He is really playing further forward at his club, which is not the case here,” Deschamps said. “Those are some adjustments we have to make.”
Victory over Iraq would send France through to the round of 32 with a match to spare before Friday’s meeting with Norway.
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