Kylian Mbappe rescued France as Michael Olise and Aurelien Tchouameni had their blushes spared with Les Bleus coming from behind to beat Iceland.

Mbappe magic saved wasteful FranceTchouameni red card sparks late dramaIceland denied an equaliser by VARFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPTELL ME MORE

France might have entered this clash as overwhelming favourites, but Iceland showed no fear under the Paris lights. Arnar Gunnlaugsson’s men stood tall in defence, refusing to be rattled by wave after wave of French possession. In midfield, captain Hakon Arnar Haraldsson dropped deeper than usual, knitting play neatly between the lines and giving his side a platform to build. 

However, after the nerves had settled down, France upped the ante. The hosts looked the likelier scorers in the early exchanges, but Icelandic goalkeeper Elías Rafn Olafsson became an immovable wall. Marcus Thuram, lively on the left, twice had clear sights of goal inside 20 minutes, only to be thwarted by Olafsson’s sharp reflexes.

That wastefulness proved costly just a minute later. Michael Olise misplaced a pass within his box, allowing Andri Gudjohnsen to nip in and punish him. While Gudjohnsen took the glory, much of the credit belonged to Isak Bergmann Johannesson, whose relentless pressing forced the error and carved out the chance.

The shock opener spurred France into a higher gear. Les Bleus tightened their grip on the game, forcing Iceland into deeper defensive lines. Just when it seemed frustration might take over, they were handed a lifeline. Mikael Anderson clipped Thuram inside the area, leaving the referee with little choice but to point to the spot after a VAR review. Up stepped Mbappe, coolness personified, sending Olafsson the wrong way before sprinting back to the centre circle, ball in hand, demanding more from his teammates. It was a captain’s moment, restoring parity and ensuring France didn’t head into the break trailing.

Backed by a thunderous Parc des Princes, France relentlessly piled forward, searching for the breakthrough that felt inevitable. The moment finally arrived just past the hour when Bradley Barcola struck home to put Les Bleus in front, with Mbappe providing the decisive touch in the build-up. But while the scorer basked in the limelight, his team-mates rushed to congratulate Aurélien Tchouameni. The Real Madrid midfielder once again pulled the strings, lofting a sublime ball over the top to carve open Iceland’s stubborn back line.

France looked set to stroll to victory after going ahead, but Tchouameni went from hero to villain. VAR checked his reckless challenge on Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson, and the referee wasted no further time in showing him a red card. The dismissal shifted momentum dramatically, handing Iceland hope of a late fightback. The visitors thought they had found their reward in stoppage time when they bundled the ball into the net through Gudjohnsen. However, VAR intervened again, ruling that Ibrahima Konate had been fouled in the build-up. Relief swept around the stadium as France clung to their slender advantage.

AdvertisementTHE MVP

Once again, Mbappe was the difference-maker. With Ousmane Dembele sidelined, the burden of creativity fell on the Real Madrid superstar, and he delivered with both a goal from the spot and a clever assist. His tally for the national team now stands at 52, taking him past Thierry Henry and edging him closer to Olivier Giroud's all-time record.

AFPTHE BIG LOSER

While Tchouameni was key for France's second goal, the midfielder was guilty of lunging into a rash tackle to win the ball far from his goal. He went with his studs up and dangerously landed his tackle on Thorsteinsson's ankle, which was deemed a red card offence. Whereas Olise, after shining against Ukraine, had an evening to forget. He looked dull in attack and gifted the game's opener to Iceland, putting his side under pressure. 

WHAT COMES NEXT?

France may have banked six points from their first two matches, but Deschamps will hardly be satisfied. His side were disjointed in phases, their finishing often wasteful, and their control undermined by needless lapses in concentration. Les Bleus will return to action in October with a home clash against Azerbaijan, followed by a tricky trip to Reykjavik to play Iceland again.