With the team fully reserve, Norway faced France, who did not spare any starters, for the lead in Group I of the World Cup. And they suffered a 4-1 defeat at the Boston stadium (USA).
Dembélé stole the show with a hat-trick (three goals) and commanded the victory that consolidated the French at the top of the group. Top scorer Mbappé didn’t score this time. The teammates have four goals each in this World Cup.
With the result, they await the end of the round to find out their opponent in the 32nd stage – one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Thus, France is on the other side of Brazil’s key. In other words: they will only face the Brazilian team if they both reach the final.
The Norwegians, who were in second place, have a duel scheduled against Ivory Coast, on Tuesday (30), at 2 pm. Whoever wins the match will face the Brazil x Japan qualifier.
In the other Group I clash, Senegal faced Iraq to try to stay alive in the dispute for a place in the 32nd stage. The Africans started the round without any points and needed to have a good goal difference to have a chance of qualifying.
With the 5-0 defeat of Iraq, Senegal got 3 points and reversed the negative balance from -3 to +2, improving its conditions to carve out a place among the eight best third-placed teams. It rose to fifth on the list, behind Sweden, Ecuador, Bosnia and Paraguay, all with 4 points.
Norway x France
The Norwegians, comfortable with second place in the group, selected the reserve team, without Haaland or Odegaard, for the match against the starting France.
The French really weren’t there just to meet schedules. In 20 seconds of the game, Mbappé already hit the crossbar with a strong shot, the first of five that he took in the first seven minutes of the match. In the fifth, Dembelé scored a great goal. Open on the right, he received a beautiful pass from Mbappé, cut to the middle and hit the goalkeeper’s left corner hard.
Afterwards, the French continued to press. At 19 minutes, Mbappé provided another assist to Dembelé, who scored a great goal from distance with a free kick similar to that of the first goal.
Shortly after the second French goal left the game, the Nordics reacted with a quick play. Midfielder Aasgard dribbled past defender Upamecano and shot low at goalkeeper Maignan, who barely managed to jump.
But, 11 minutes later, Dembelé returned and scored the third goal after a long exchange of passes. In the right corner of the area again, he had space to fake two shots before sending a cross and beating the reserve goalkeeper Selvik.
The PSG star finished the first half with a hat-trick with three shots: 100% goal conversion.
In the second half, Norway managed to score a penalty after two minutes: Bobb was brought down by left-back Theo Hernández inside the area.
Larsen hit the penalty in the left corner very poorly, and Maignan took it without difficulty.
If Norway entered with the reserve team, the French did not have coach Didier Deschamps on the edge of the field. Deschamps returned to France for the wake of his mother, who died on Tuesday (23).
Senegal x Iraq
The Senegalese also started the game well, opening the score after just 4 minutes, with a corner: Seck headed the ball on the ground and the ball bounced into the Iraqi goalkeeper’s left corner.
Shortly afterwards, Mané invaded the area when he was brought down by Iraqi defender Sulaka, who pulled him by his shorts. The referee called a foul and gave a yellow card, but corrected it to red after VAR intervention, as the Senegalese would be face to face with the goalkeeper.
Mané took the free kick he suffered and almost scored a great goal, with a shot on the opposite side of the wall that was saved by goalkeeper Basil, who fell with pain in his shoulder and had to be attended to.
Basil still had to be attended to in the 41st minute of the first half, after being brought down by the Senegal attack. At half-time, he couldn’t resist the pain and had to be replaced.
With one more player, Senegal had the perfect scenario to increase their goal difference in the fight for third place. And he succeeded.
After much insistence, at 10 minutes, Camara stole the ball in the middle and took it to the end line, from where he passed it to Ismaila Sarr to score in the small area, making the second.
Soon after, at 13 minutes, Pape Gueye, who had just entered, hit a shot from outside the area, into the top right corner of goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, who had also entered recently.
The same Gueye scored the fourth goal with another tirambaço, this time a volley, at 25 minutes.
