Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland powered France and Norway respectively to their opening group match victories in the FIFA World Cup football championships..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France launched their bid for a third FIFA World Cup crown with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Real Madrid star Mbappe took his career World Cup goals tally to 14 – just two behind all-time leader Miroslav Klose – and Bradley Barcola was also on target as Les Bleus secured all three points for Didier Deschamps’ side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mbappe darted across the penalty area to convert a brilliant Michael Olise pass on 66 minutes to break the deadlock in a contest in which France struggled badly in the first half, but came to life after the break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain then came off the bench to get the second late on, before his club colleague Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back in stoppage time for Senegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Mbappe saved the best for last, as he blasted in from long range in the 96th minute to seal the win, and become France’s all-time top scorer with 58 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Didier Deschamps, in his last tournament before he steps down after 14 years in charge as head coach, has been wary of overconfidence in his talented squad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Opponents Senegal served as a warning from the past – France went into the 2002 World Cup as holders and favourites, but lost 1-0 to the Lions of Teranga in their opening game and never recovered, going out in the group stage without scoring a goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senegal showed how strong they are before a packed house of 80,545 in a game played in bright sunshine with the skyscrapers of Manhattan in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A team led by veteran forward Sadio Mane, and featuring four starters born in France, were playing their first competitive game since the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They were the better team in the first half, as Nicolas Jackson almost scored on the break on 25 minutes when he broke away and hit the post, before the ball ricocheted off goalkeeper Mike Maignan and went just wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ismaila Sarr then put a glorious chance over the bar in first-half stoppage time, and Senegal were to regret that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olise and Ousmane Dembele switched positions at the interval, with the reigning Ballon d\u2019Or moving right and leaving the area through the middle behind Mbappe to the Bayern man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Suddenly France came to life, with Olise being denied by Edouard Mendy and then setting up Mbappe for a chance that was saved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France thought they had a penalty on the hour mark when Mbappe went down under a Mane challenge, but referee Alireza Faghani opted not to award a spot-kick after a review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It didn’t matter, as Olise continued to tear apart the opposition and slipped in Mbappe for the opener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a superb goal, and France struck again when Adrien Rabiot released substitute Barcola to run through and score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mbaye got one back on 95 minutes, but Mbappe had the last word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iraq had to concede to Haaland-powered Norway as they fell to a 4-1 defeat in their Group I tie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Aymen Hussein drew Iraq level after Haaland had put Norway ahead in the 29th minute but an opportunistic strike from the Manchester City star just before the break and second-half goals from Leo Ostigard and Kristian Thorstvedt ended the West Asian side’s hopes of getting something from the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Norway head coach Stale Solbakken predicted Haaland would make a “very big impact” at his first major Finals, and the City star was quick to deliver on that promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Antonio Nusa’s trickery was a problem for Iraq, and his incisive pass released the overlapping David Moller Wolfe clear before Haaland stretched to steer in the low cross from the left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iraq, who lost all their of group games on their only previous appearance, did not let that get to them as they equalised 10 minutes later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amir Al-Ammari found space just inside the area and clipped in a cross, with Hussein rising brilliantly to power a header past Orjan Nyland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Iraq only had themselves to blame as they giftwrapped Haaland’s second of the contest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Goalkeeper Jalal Hassan was slow to react to a softly-hit backpass, his attempted clearance smacking off Haaland’s shin and ricocheting into the net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iraq again responded well with Ibrahim Bayesh denied by a desperation block, Ali Al Hamadi dribbling an effort wide and centre-back Akam Hashim lashing a spectacular volley just over the bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ostigard nodded in Odegaard’s corner on 76 minutes to seal the points for Norway, before Haaland was thwarted by Hassan when another loose pass sent him clean through and seeking his hat-trick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haaland nonetheless had a hand in Norway’s late fourth, his looping header back across goal deflecting off Hussein before trickling over the line.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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