NEWS
Power Display! France Underpins Title Ambitions
France impresses with their performance against Sweden. In the tournament, Deschamps' side will be the team to beat.
What a performance by the "Equipe Tricolore" in their 3-0 round of 16 victory (to the match report >>>) against Sweden.
The fact that the defeat wasn't even clearer was primarily thanks to Sweden's goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström, who saved his team from a veritable thrashing with several strong saves.
The French left nothing to chance over the entire match and impressively demonstrated why they are among the top favorites for the World Cup title.
Mbappe the Decisive Man
In the first encounter between France and Sweden at a FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappe was once again the decisive man on the pitch.
He scored two goals, definitively surpassing Miroslav Klose in the all-time World Cup goalscorer list.
He also claimed another record.
Mbappe Celebrates with Deschamps
After his opening goal for 1-0, Kylian Mbappé immediately sought out head coach Didier Deschamps, who had missed the last group match against Norway due to his mother's funeral.
Mbappe said about this gesture: "That's the DNA of our group, we all stand together. The coach is currently going through a time that, unfortunately, we all have to experience ourselves at some point. It's incredibly difficult, but we won't leave him alone. We support him."
Potter: "You Can Only Applaud"
Deschamps was highly satisfied after the clear victory. "I am very proud of the team. We have a good mentality. Now we need to maintain this focus, this determination, then we can go all the way."
Regarding Mbappe, who is sometimes described as arrogant, the 2018 World Cup-winning coach said: "He is on a mission and has embraced his role as captain. The image many people have of him does not correspond to reality."
Sweden's head coach Graham Potter had to acknowledge the superiority of the French and was particularly impressed by Mbappe and Olise. "Stopping the two of them once isn't enough. It only changes the way they punish you next time. There's a blind understanding between them."
For the Englishman, France is the clear number one title contender. "It's not just about individual quality. It's the chemistry in the team, everyone believes in each other. Sometimes you can only applaud because there are moments when footballers show why they belong among the best in the world."
