France Wins on Zidane Debut, Worries About Mbappe

France secured a 1-0 victory in Turkey in the first round of the UEFA Nations League.

The clash in Group 1 of the top-tier Nations League division was France's first under the leadership of Zinedine Zidane. There is uncertainty surrounding goalscorer Kylian Mbappe, who had to be substituted due to knee pain.

In the first half, it took a long time for the away side to create any significant goal-scoring chances. Cherki had the biggest opportunity in the 41st minute, but Demiral blocked his shot.

Mbappe Scores the Winner

Turkey had the first clear-cut chance of the second half. From a corner, Yüksek had an unchallenged header, which Maignan saved with his hand (51').

Kylian Mbappe scored the winning goal for the French. The 27-year-old put Les Bleus ahead 1-0 in the 54th minute following an assist from Olise. However, the superstar unfortunately injured his knee while finishing and subsequently had to be substituted.

Cakir Sent Off

Instead of a successful late offensive, Turkey had to endure a sending-off. Barcola was clean through on the Turkish goal, while goalkeeper Cakir sprinted out to meet him. Cakir handled the ball outside the penalty area with his upper arm and was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity (87').

With this final result, France moved to second place in the group, which also includes Turkey, Belgium, and Italy. In the next round, France will face Belgium, while Turkey will host Italy.