18 goals! Mbappe scores twice to chase Messi, Olise provides two assists; France beats Sweden 3-0 to reach the Round of 16

On July 1, Beijing time, in the Round of 32 of the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, France eliminated Sweden 3-0 to progress to the last 16. In first-half stoppage time, the "Mbappe-Dembele link-up" saw Mbappe finish from Dembele's pass to open the scoring. Early in the second half, Barcola converted Olise's through ball to extend the lead to 2-0. Then, Mbappe again found the net from Olise's pass, bringing his total World Cup goals to 18, closing in on Messi. In the next round, France will face Paraguay.

Although Sweden boasts stars like Isak, Gyökeres, and Elanga, their overall strength still falls short of tournament favorites France. During the group stage, France won all three matches, scoring ten goals, with Mbappe and Dembele each netting four to showcase excellent form, while Olise provided three assists. However, it is worth noting that France had never beaten Sweden in international competitions before this match.

Both sides started cautiously. As the game progressed, France gradually increased their attacking intensity, but Sweden maintained a solid defensive shape, limiting France's space. Digne, Mbappe, and Barcola tried long-range shots from outside the box, but none posed a real threat. Around the midway point of the first half, France found their rhythm and created several chances. In the 21st minute, Mbappe scored a one-on-one but it was ruled offside, giving Sweden a scare. Ten minutes later, Mbappe hit the post, again missing a golden opportunity.

The terrifying aspect of France's attack is that they not only have Mbappe but also stars like Dembele and Olise. In the 35th minute, Olise executed a stunning side volley that hit the crossbar, and Dembele's opportunistic rebound went wide. A few minutes later, Olise unleashed another high-quality long-range effort that also posed a considerable threat.

Just before halftime, France finally broke the deadlock.In first-half stoppage time, Mbappe received Dembele's pass, shrugged off his marker, cut inside, and fired home to give France a 1-0 lead. This goal was Mbappe's fifth of the tournament, and his total World Cup goals reached 17, surpassing Miroslav Klose (16) to move into second place on the all-time World Cup scoring list, behind only Messi.

In the first half, France dominated overwhelmingly, registering 15 shots with 6 on target, an expected goals (xG) of 1.1, and 71% possession. In contrast, Sweden managed only 3 shots with an xG of 0.29 and 29% possession.

Shortly after the restart, France dealt Sweden another heavy blow.In the 52nd minute, Olise delivered a pinpoint through ball from outside the box; Barcola surged forward, shook off a defender, and scored to make it 2-0. All four members of France's starting front line had either scored or assisted in this match.

With a two-goal lead, France continued to press, keeping Sweden's defense under constant pressure. In the 60th minute, Olise controlled Dembele's pass outside the box and curled a left-footed shot towards goal, but Swedish goalkeeper Sæterstrøm made a brilliant save to push it wide. A few minutes later, Olise drove into the box and saw his shot just miss the post. In the 72nd minute, Olise again caused danger, breaking through on a counter-attack but his close-range effort was saved by the goalkeeper.

The 74th minute saw another moment for Mbappe. He collected Olise's pass, burst into the box, and scored to make it 3-0 for France. This goal was Mbappe's 18th in World Cup history, closing in on Messi (19). Olise also recorded his fifth assist of the tournament, placing him top of the assist charts.

In the closing stages, both sides exchanged attacks but neither could add to the scoreline. The match ended 3-0, with France eliminating Sweden to advance to the World Cup Round of 16.

Lineups

France starting line-up (4-2-3-1): 16-Maignan; 5-Koundé (75’ 2-Gusto), 4-Upamecano, 17-Saliba, 3-Digne (78’ 19-Theo); 8-Tchouaméni, 14-Rabiot; 7-Dembélé (75’ 14-Doué), 12-Barcola, 11-Olise (85’ 22-Cherki); 10-Mbappé (85’ 22-Mateta).

Sweden starting line-up (4-4-2): 1-Sæterstrøm; 8-Svensson (82’ 19-Svanberg), 2-Lagbierk, 3-Lindelöf, 5-Gudmundsson; 24-Strand (66’ 22-Zeneli), 18-Ayari (82’ 10-Nygren), 7-Bergvall (66’ 26-Ali), 11-Elanga; 17-Gyökeres, 9-Isak (89’ 25-Nilsson).

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