France eventually turned on the style in its World Cup opener at MetLife Stadium, bypassing Senegal 3–1 thanks to a Kylian Mbappé brace and a Bradley Barcola goal.
By striking twice in New Jersey, Mbappé overtook Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading goalscorer (58 goals) and his country’s leading scorer at World Cups, usurping Just Fontaine’s haul of 13.
Les Bleus were forced to work incredibly hard for three points, with Senegal completely stymying Didier Deschamps’ incoherent unit in the first half. The West Africans, who famously stunned the French to kick off the 2002 tournament, came closest via Nicolas Jackson and Ismaïla Sarr in the opening period, but they were made to rue their profligacy.
Deschamps’ subtle changes helped, but so did an uptick in tempo, which rendered Senegal’s once-stiff block obsolete. The Frenchmen started to flex their attacking might, but you wondered whether it’d be their day once Édouard Mendy’s save tally started to rack up, and Mbappé remarkably wasn’t awarded a penalty despite a pitch-side review.
He got the ball rolling with a superb run and finish before substitute Barcola cleverly dinked Mendy. A flurry of action at both ends concluded proceedings, with Mbappé responding to Ibrahim Mbaye’s consolation by thumping an effort past Mendy from distance.
One Thing We Can’t Ignore
It was an abject opening 45 minutes from France against a really good Senegal team, who went man-to-man high up the pitch but was content in a more zonal 4-5-1 when Les Bleus progressed upfield.
The defensive shape offered little room for France to maneuver in central areas, forcing Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé to occasionally pick up the ball in positions where they were never going to hurt the opposition.
By constantly asking these to play inside, rightback Jules Koundé became far too important as an outlet for a team boasting the mightiest attack at the tournament. The converted centerback was constantly used high and wide, often isolated one-on-one, while France’s superstars fought for breath in the congested middle.
Without Julian Nagelsmann on the touchline, France was never going to manipulate Senegal’s structure and combine through the middle of the pitch. It had to have its game-breakers out wide, with Koundé either used to protect the counterattack, which he failed to do, or used as a decoy on the inside to create space for Dembélé or Olise.
The Koundé situation was one of the few issues France had against stern opposition, hence why the team created next to nothing in the first half. An array of tweaks from the wily Deschamps at the interval made for much better spacing in possession, which bodes well for Les Bleus moving forward.
France Player Ratings vs. Senegal (4-2-3-1)
GK: Mike Maignan—6.2: Sloppy Senegalese finishing meant he wasn’t anywhere near as busy as his counterpart, and he was rather fortunate that a rebound off the post from a rasping Nicolas Jackson strike dribbled wide in the first half. Should’ve saved Mbaye’s late strike.
RB: Jules Koundé—7.4: As we’ve noted, Koundé was ineffective high up the pitch and far more comfortable in a more conservative role. Senegal had some joy getting in behind down his flank early on, but Koundé improved defensively as the contest wore on.
CB: William Saliba—7.0: Saliba made a crucial intervention at the start of the second half to deny Jackson from bearing down on Maignan’s goal. He always seems to time such challenges perfectly.
CB: Dayot Upamecano—8.2: Defended the counterattack superbly well for the most part, and it was a really captivating battle with Jackson.
LB: Theo Hernández—6.9: Had a limited influence on the game, especially with the ball.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.4: Struggled to get a hold of proceedings against a physical Senegal engine room, with much of his work fairly superficial.
CM: Adrien Rabiot—7.7: Unglamorous? Perhaps, but Rabiot performs a critical balancing act in this French team. It wasn’t such a bad pass through to Barcola either.
RW: Michael Olise—8.5: After a quiet start to proceedings, Olise burst into life after the restart. Evaded pressure masterfully, and his pass into Kylian Mbappé for the opening goal was pinpoint.
AM: Ousmane Dembélé—7.1: The Paris Saint-Germain superstar never clicked into gear here.
LW: Désiré Doué—7.3: Smothered in the first half and didn’t establish any connections down the left. Slightly better when he got closer to Mbappé after the restart.
ST: Kylian Mbappé—9.0: Nothing worked for France’s talisman for an hour, but he wasn’t going to be tamed for long. This is Kylian Mbappé at the World Cup, after all. The run and finish to open the scoring was absolutely devastating, then his second was emphatic.
SUB: Bradley Barcola (80’ for Dembélé)—7.4: Brilliant out-to-in run and an cultured finish. Welcome to the World Cup, Bradley.
SUB: Rayan Cherki (87’ for Doué)—N/A
Subs not used: Brice Samba (GK), Robin Risser (GK), Ibrahima Konaté, Lucas Digne, Lucas Hernández, Malo Gusto, Maxence Lacroix, Manu Koné, N’Golo Kanté, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Maghnes Akliouche, Marcus Thuram.
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Michael Olise entered the World Cup as a legitimate Ballon d’Or contender off the back of a magical season with Bayern Munich. He’s one of France’s four horsemen, and although he can’t be the leading man while Kylian Mbappé is around, it was Olise who turned it on in the second half and galvanized a struggling France team.
- Les Bleus staggering attack didn’t click at MetLife. They were inhibited by stubborn opposition and a system that was initially confused before a shift in roles allowed Olise, in particular, to come to the fore. Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé weren’t quite so influential, and you wonder whether Deschamps will eventually pivot to alternative options to aid the collective.
- Speaking of, Bradley Barcola certainly staked his claim to be included in the starting lineup against Iraq. His runs in behind will be invaluable against a deep-lying defense.
The Numbers That Explain France’s Second-Half Uptick
- Senegal limited France to just a single shot worth a mere 0.02 xG in the first half.
- However, France turned it on in the second half, crafting 1.87 xG after the restart and creating four big chances .
- Les Bleus also limited their opponents after Sarr’s big chance at the end of the first half. Senegal scored late on in its only shot of the second half .
| Statistic | France | Senegal |
|---|---|---|
| Posession | 54% | 46% |
| xG | 1.89 | 0.50 |
| Total Shots | 11 | 6 |
| Shots on Target | 8 | 2 |
| Big Chances | 4 | 2 |
| Pass Accuracy | 88% | 86% |
| Fouls | 5 | 9 |
| Corners | 6 | 4 |
