Mbappe inspires France to 2-1 comeback win over Iceland in World Cup Qualifier

France maintained their perfect start in World Cup qualifying Group D as Kylian Mbappe scored one goal and created another in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Iceland on Tuesday. Didier Deschamps’s men sit top of the group with six points from two matches, three clear of Iceland, while Ukraine and Azerbaijan trail after their 1-1 draw earlier in the day.

The visitors struck first in the 17th minute when Andri Lucas Gudjohnsen capitalised on a poor back pass from Michael Olise to put Iceland ahead. France responded just before halftime as Marcus Thuram was fouled in the box and Mbappe coolly dispatched the penalty to level the contest.

After the break, Olise nearly made amends with a strike that rattled the crossbar, before Mbappe orchestrated the winner in the 62nd minute. Leading a swift counterattack, the captain squared for Bradley Barcola, who tapped in to seal the turnaround. Barcola later reflected: “It was tough during the whole game. We managed to score and that’s the main takeaway tonight. After the break we sought to play faster to unsettle them. We’ve played our two main rivals in the group, it was important to win.”

France faced a nervy finish after Aurelien Tchouameni was sent off for a reckless challenge with 20 minutes remaining. Iceland thought they had snatched a late equaliser when Gudjohnsen bundled the ball home, but VAR intervened, ruling he had pulled Ibrahima Konate’s shirt in the buildup.

Deschamps praised Mbappe’s influence after the win: “He puts in a lot of effort, offers solutions and is effective. He’s a very good leader for the whole group.”

With the victory, France extended their remarkable home record in World Cup qualifiers, having lost only once in 32 years—against Spain. The reigning World Cup runners-up will now prepare to host Azerbaijan on October 10 before travelling to Reykjavik for the return clash with Iceland three days later.

SportsLigue