France produced a late burst of quality to defeat Senegal 3-1 in a gripping World Cup Group I encounter, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a spectacular stoppage-time strike to cap a dramatic finish in New York/New Jersey.
Senegal had pushed France hard for long spells and will feel the scoreline does not reflect the balance of chances, but the European champions ultimately punished their wastefulness and finished the match in emphatic fashion.
Senegal threaten early as France struggle to settle
From the opening stages, Senegal showed attacking intent, with Ismaila Sarr and Nicolas Jackson causing problems for the French defence.
Jackson came closest in the first half when his powerful effort struck the post, while Sarr also spurned a major opportunity at close range just before the interval.
France, meanwhile, struggled to find rhythm early on, with Mbappé unusually quiet and misplacing touches as Senegal disrupted their build-up play.
VAR drama and breakthrough goal
The second half began with greater intensity from France, but the turning point came amid controversy when Mbappé went down in the penalty area under a challenge from Sadio Mané. The referee initially waved play on, and after a VAR review the decision was upheld, ruling no penalty.
Moments later, however, France made their pressure count. Mbappé finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute, finishing clinically after a well-weighted assist from Michael Olise that split the Senegal defence.
That goal, which also saw Mbappé move into joint all-time top scorer contention for France, shifted momentum decisively in favour of Didier Deschamps’ side.
Senegal respond but Barcola ends resistance
Senegal continued to threaten, with Sarr and Jackson looking dangerous in transition, but they were ultimately punished for leaving space at the back.
France doubled their advantage in the 82nd minute through Bradley Barcola, who had only just been introduced. The substitute latched onto a precise pass from Adrien Rabiot before delicately lifting the ball over goalkeeper Édouard Mendy.
The finish effectively deflated Senegal’s hopes, despite their earlier attacking promise and a disallowed goal for Jackson due to offside earlier in the half.
Mbappé adds gloss with late stunner
With Senegal pushing forward in desperation during stoppage time, France struck again in devastating fashion.
In the 96th minute, Mbappé produced the moment of the match, curling a right-footed effort from outside the box into the top corner to seal a 3-1 victory.
The strike underlined his status as France’s talisman, as he capped a strong second-half performance with a goal of exceptional quality.
Senegal did manage a consolation through Ibrahim Mbaye, who finished a swift counter-attack with a composed strike into the corner, but it proved too late to change the outcome.
France’s depth proves decisive
Despite Senegal’s spirited performance, France’s squad depth and individual brilliance ultimately made the difference, particularly from their substitutes and attacking options.
The result leaves France in a strong position in Group I, while Senegal are left to reflect on missed chances that could have altered the outcome of an entertaining contest.
For Deschamps’ side, it was another reminder that even when not at their fluent best, they possess the cutting edge to decide matches in moments of brilliance.
