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Mbappé shines as France beats Senegal

20 Jun · 1 min read
Mbappé shines as France beats Senegal

Kylian Mbappé took centre stage as France opened their World Cup with a 3-1 win over a spirited Senegal, the captain scoring twice to settle a contest tighter than the scoreline suggests.

The deadlock broke on 66 minutes when Mbappé finished a Michael Olise pass, and Bradley Barcola doubled the lead on 82, set up by Adrien Rabiot. Senegal pulled one back through Iliman Mbaye in stoppage time, but Mbappé had the final word moments later to seal his brace.

France did not hit top gear, but the quality of their finishing made the difference. Senegal will take heart from a lively second-half display, even in defeat.

Photo: "Kylian Mbappé" by Hossein Zohrevand / CC BY 4.0 — via Wikimedia Commons (source)