As the half-time whistle sounded, Kylian Mbappé sprinted toward the players’ tunnel, trailed closely by Ousmane Dembélé. In stark contrast, the remainder of the French squad ambled off the pitch, showing little urgency. The forward, often hailed as the world’s best—and the reigning Ballon d’Or holder—had pressing matters to address.
The first half of Tuesday’s match against Senegal was a disorganized affair for the 2018 World Cup winners and the 2022 finalists. Senegal managed to create more significant opportunities, including a shot that clipped the post, leaving France struggling. Yet, with a formidable lineup of forwards, they ultimately triumphed 3-1 despite appearing disjointed for much of the match.
France boasts talents like Mbappé, Dembélé, and Michael Olise. However, in the initial half, their attack lacked cohesion. Olise wandered aimlessly from his right position, once almost crossing to the opposite sideline to impact the game, but struggled to make a meaningful contribution. Désiré Doué on the left was scarcely involved, leading to a comical series of miscommunications between Dembélé and Mbappé.
In the fourth minute, Mbappé was nearly set free by Adrien Rabiot—long criticized yet favored by manager Didier Deschamps. The ball, however, was awkwardly received, as Mbappé used his backside instead of his feet. Their exchanges lacked urgency, proving ineffective against a Senegalese defense that appeared comfortable throughout the sunny match.
As the first half neared its conclusion, Olise, finally sticking to his right position, tormented El Hadji Malick Diouf and surged into space. He and Mbappé exchanged glances but failed to coordinate their movements, leading to a frustrating half for the French squad.
The duo of Mbappé and Dembélé struggled, gesturing for each other to anticipate their intentions. The team resembled one configured by a defensively minded manager, with attackers deployed in unfamiliar roles. They seemed acutely aware of their potential yet baffled by their lack of execution.
Meanwhile, Senegal capitalized on their pressing game, slicing through French defenses to create opportunities. A shot from Nicolas Jackson rattled Mike Maignan’s near post, following another turnover by Mbappé. The frustration was palpable in the press box, with one journalist lamenting, “From time to time, you do have a rough start,”
“It’s quite hard to meet the high expectation at a World Cup.” Deschamps acknowledged. “He told me that he didn’t want to strike in a friendly match but wanted to score in a real match,”
The adjustments made during the intermission seemed effective. Switching Olise to a central role and moving Dembélé to the right allowed France to elevate their intensity. Around the hour mark, the team began functioning more cohesively.
Both Olise and Mbappé were thwarted by Senegalese goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, while a clear penalty opportunity for Sadio Mané on Mbappé was inexplicably overlooked by referee Alireza Faghani, despite VAR’s intervention.
In the 64th minute, Olise cleverly maneuvered into space and delivered a perfectly weighted through ball to Mbappé. Although he narrowly missed it, they displayed newfound chemistry. Just two minutes later, the pair connected successfully; Olise’s diagonal pass found Mbappé, who finished smoothly, equaling Olivier Giroud’s record of 57 goals for France.
After a disallowed goal from Jackson for offside, Rabiot seized an opening in the midfield and sent substitute Bradley Barcola through on goal, who executed a delicate chip to score.
Senegal managed to pull one back through Ibrahim Mbaye, but Olise and Mbappé had one final flourish for the 82,000 fans in New Jersey. In the dying moments, Olise battled through defenders and laid the ball off to Mbappé, positioned about 30 yards from goal.
In a moment of magic, Mbappé unleashed a stunning shot that curved past Mendy, marking his 58th international goal and sealing a 3-1 victory for France.
“Kylian was efficient, ruthlessly efficient,” Deschamps joked about Mbappé’s record-setting ambitions. “People will still criticize him. He’s an iconic player, I’ve always said that. He can sometimes miss a game but on one action he can really tip the scales.”
While this match may not stand out as a highlight for the French team, Senegal showcased impressive play at times. Nevertheless, the brilliance of Mbappé, Olise, and Dembélé provided the necessary buffer for their side.
“Kylian was efficient, ruthlessly efficient,” Deschamps remarked. “People will still criticize him. He’s an iconic player, I’ve always said that. He can sometimes miss a game but on one action he can really tip the scales.”
With smiles and embraces shared among the players, Mbappé led the squad to acknowledge their supporters. The first-half struggles—the miscommunications, poor touches, and disjointed plays—were quickly forgotten.
France appears poised for success, bolstered by their wealth of talent.
