Recent history dictated that Denmark would give France a fight at the World Cup, and despite the Danes holding up in the face of immense pressure, sometimes there’s just no answer for Kylian Mbappé.
Denmark beat France twice in the last six months in the UEFA Nations League and played France to a scoreless draw in the group stage at the 2018 World Cup as well. But Saturday belonged to France and its star forward, who delivered a double to sandwich a set-piece goal from Denmark’s Andreas Christensen in a 2-1 result that punches France’s ticket to the knockout stage.
For France, reversing its fortune against Christian Eriksen & Co. and winning sees it avoid the fate of four of the last five reigning champions, who have gone out in the subsequent group phase.
And for Mbappé, he now has three goals in Qatar, tying him with Ecuador’s Enner Valencia in the race for the golden boot.
The opening 10 minutes were a bit of a feeling-out process, with France having the most dangerous moment, a cross from in deep trying to pick out Olivier Giroud, blocked and cleared to safety.
France came close again in the 13th minute, with Raphaël Varane’s header off a corner being put out for another. Off Antoine Griezmann’s subsequent take, a flicked-on header from Varane again was headed toward the far corner, but Denmark’s defense blocked it before it could trickle into goal.
Mbappé’s speed caused some major problems in the 20th minute, when he raced down the center to run onto a long ball out of the back that appeared speculative at best. But he turned on the afterburners and got in front of Christensen, who could only tactically foul Mbappé from behind and grant France a free kick. Had Mbappé gone through, he would have been in on goal uncontested, but given how far he was from goal—not even halfway into Denmark’s half—it only resulted in a yellow for the Danish defender.
Off the ensuing free kick, Griezmann picked out Ousmane Dembélé on the right-hand side, and his left-footed cross was curled right to Adrien Rabiot, whose header was saved by Kasper Schmeichel.
Mbappé was the danger man again in the 30th minute, easing by his defender and getting to the endline before cutting a cross back across the box to defender Jules Koundé, who had pushed up to the edge of the Denmark area. Instead of having a go at goal, though, Koundé settled the ball and tried to force a cross/shot to the back post, but Denmark blocked and ultimately avoided the threat.
Denmark was finally able to get something going in the other direction in the 35th minute on the counterattack. Forward Andreas Cornelius was played in behind down the right-hand side, and he had a clear look at Hugo Lloris’s goal while on the move, but all he could do was put it into the side netting.
It was a bit more of the same to start the second half, and 10 minutes in, Mbappé nearly struck after a sensational turn and run down the left. His shot was deflected over the bar by Schmeichel, though, who saved the danger and limited it to a fruitless corner.
The breakthrough finally came for France after the hour mark, and, appropriately, it came through Mbappé. Working a combination with Theo Hernandez on the left, Mbappé received a return pass before bouncing his shot through space and by Schmeichel to give France the 1-0 lead.
The goal may have woken up a sleepy Denmark, as the Danes pulled level eight minutes later. It was Christensen, whose earlier tackle of Mbappé could arguably have resulted in a red card, getting on the end of a set piece to head in the equalizer.
France came close to going back ahead on a corner kick of its own, with Aurélien Tchouaméni’s diving header hitting off the back of Joakim Mæhle and deflecting just wide of the goal in the 78th minute.
Back on the other end, it was Denmark’s turn to register a scare, as Martin Braithwaite couldn’t quite redirect his chance on frame after a well-timed near-post run, letting France off by putting his shot just wide.
France went back ahead in the 86th minute, with Griezmann sending a cross to the far post, and Mbappé using his thigh to redirect it by Schmeichel to make it 2-1.
Here are the lineups for both teams:
Full World Cup Squads
France
GOALKEEPERS: Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Rennes)
DEFENDERS: Axel Disasi (Monaco), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Raphaël Varane (Manchester United)
MIDFIELDERS: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Mattéo Guendouzi (Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Jordan Veretout (Marseille)
FORWARDS: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt), Marcus Thuram (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
COACH: Didier Deschamps
Denmark
World Cup Squad
GOALKEEPERS: Oliver Christensen (Hertha Berlin), Frederik Rønnow (Union Berlin), Kasper Schmeichel (Nice)
DEFENDERS: Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace), Alexander Bah (Benfica), Andreas Christensen (Barcelona), Simon Kjær (AC Milan), Rasmus Kristensen (Leeds United), Jens Stryger Larsen (Trabzonspor), Joakim Mæle (Atalanta), Victor Nelsson (Galatasaray), Daniel Wass (Brøndby)
MIDFIELDERS: Thomas Delaney (Sevilla), Christian Eriksen (Manchester United), Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham), Mathias Jensen (Brentford), Christian Nørgaard (Brentford), Robert Skov (Hoffenheim)
FORWARDS: Martin Braithwaite (Espanyol), Andreas Cornelius (Copenhagen), Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford), Kasper Dolberg (Sevilla), Jesper Lindstrøm (Eintracht Frankfurt), Andreas Skov Olsen (Club Brugge), Yussuf Poulsen (RB Leipzig), Jonas Wind (Wolfsburg)
