World
France storm into the last 32 as Mbappe and Dembele fire
A weather-interrupted 3-0 win over Iraq sealed Group I for Les Bleus, who look ominous heading into the knockouts.
France have served notice that they intend to go deep again. Les Bleus topped Group I with a 3-0 win over Iraq, a result that confirmed first place and sent them into the Round of 32 looking every bit a tournament favourite.
How they qualified
Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute and added a second, with Ousmane Dembele also on the scoresheet. The match was unusual: play was suspended at half-time because of a thunderstorm and heavy rain at the Philadelphia stadium, with a roughly two-hour delay before France returned to finish the job.
Key men
Mbappe is tied near the top of the Golden Boot race and remains the man opponents must stop. With Dembele also scoring and a strong supporting cast, France carry the kind of attacking firepower that wins knockout football.
Prediction
As Group I winners, France should face a manageable opening knockout tie. Anything other than a comfortable progression would be a surprise given their current form.
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