A Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise masterclass helped France ease to a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32 at the World Cup.
The French started to get control of the game, and Mbappe initially had a goal chalked off for offside. The Real Madrid forward was then denied by the post after a superb attacking move that nearly led to the opener.
Olise nearly scored the Goal of the Tournament in the 35th minute when he attempted a bicycle kick that also hit the post. Ousmane Dembele followed up with a strike that flew just wide of the goal.
Les Bleus finally took the lead in the 45th minute, and Mbappe bagged his fifth goal in four games. He shifted the ball past Viktor Gyokeres after clever build-up play from Olise and Ousmane Dembele before firing past Jacob Widell Zetterstrom.
It took just seven minutes after the restart for Bradley Barcola to make it two-nil, and Olise magicked up a brilliant assist. The Bayern Munich man played the ball through Gustaf Lagerbielke's legs, and Barcola found the back of the net.
A special third came in the 73rd minute, and Deschamps' men created one of the best attacking moves you'll see. Olise was again right in the thick of things with a slick pass to Mbappe, who drew level with Lionel Messi at the top of the goalscoring charts.
Match Highlights
Still to come...
France Player Ratings
Kylian Mbappe (France)Kyle Ross (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
It's going to take something special to beat this star-studded France team who have been at their best throughout the tournament. As Patrick Vieira says, 'this is the Mbappe World Cup ', and he was at the peak of his powers in East Rutherford.
In midfield, Adrien Rabiot might have a case for being the most underrated French player in history. The AC Milan midfielder impressed going forward while ensuring the Swedes couldn't gain momentum in the middle of the park.
If Liverpool scouts were watching tonight's game, they might be ready to swoop for Bradley Barcola, who put in a fine performance and took his goal well. His pace is a nightmare for defenders, and he might just have permanently displaced PSG teammate Desire Doue.
Everything Olise seems to touch turns to gold, and he is shining in Deschamps' team. If France go on to win the World Cup, he'll surely be eyeing the Ballon d'Or.
Player Position Rating (out of 10) Minutes Played
Mike Maignan GK 7/10 90
Jules Kounde RB 7/10 75
Dayot Upamecano CB 7/10 90
William Saliba CB 7/10 90
Lucas Digne LB 7/10 78
Aurelien Tchouameni CM 7/10 90
Adrien Rabiot CM 8/10 90
Ousmane Dembele RW 8/10 75
Michael Olise AM 9/10 85
Bradley Barcola LW 8/10 90
Kylian Mbappe ST 9/10 85
Desire Doue RW 7/10 18
Theo Hernandez LB 6/10 16
Malo Gusto RB 6/10 18
Rayan Cherki CAM N/A 10
Jean-Philippe Mateta ST N/A 9
Sweden Player Ratings
Alexander IsakTT News Agency via Reuters
Graham Potter's side were second best throughout and wasted the limited opportunities that came their way. Yasin Ayari put in a positive performance, looking to cause problems on the counter and forcing the French into a few fouls.
Derby County goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom did his best to prevent Les Bleus from running riot with several decent saves. He could do nothing about Mbappe's opener that flew past him with pace.
Zetterstrom's defence couldn't contain the fearsome French frontline who often left them chasing shadows. Victor Lindelof, in particular, had his work cut out for him after dropping into defence from midfield.
Viktor Gyokeres tried using his strength to give Arsenal teammate William Saliba problems, but an inevitable lack of service prevented him from influencing proceedings. As for Alexander Isak, the Liverpool striker was rarely involved, and on today's showing he's not in the same league as Mbappe and Olise.
Player Position Rating (out of 10) Minutes Played
Jacob Widell Zetterstrom GK 6/10 90
Gustaf Lagerbielke CB 5/10 90
Victor Lindelof CB 5/10 90
Gabriel Gudmundsson CB 6/10 90
Daniel Svensson RM 5/10 82
Yasin Ayari CM 7/10 82
Lucas Bergvall CM 6/10 66
Elliot Stroud LM 5/10 66
Anthony Elanga RW 5/10 90
Viktor Gyokeres ST 6/10 90
Alexander Isak LW 4/10 90
Besfort Zeneli CM 6/10 24
Taha Ali LM 5/10 24
Benjamin Nygren CM 5/10 8
Mattias Svanberg RM 5/10 8
Gustaf Nilsson LW N/A 1