Kylian Mbappe pulled the strings, dishing out two assists and netting one himself, as France cruised past Luxembourg 3-0 in a warm-up match at Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz.
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Olivier Giroud entered the fray to mark his record as the oldest player for Les Blues at 37 years and 249 days. Still, it was the dazzling Mbappe, newly minted Real Madrid icon, who captivated the spectators as France started their march toward Euro 2024 effortlessly.
The ex-Paris Saint-Germain star weaved his way down the left flank and lofted a perfect cross for Randal Kolo Muani, who nodded in the first goal just before the break. Later, Mbappe whipped a sharp cross for Jonathan Clauss, who composed himself and fired in France’s second in the 70th minute.
Mbappe wasn’t done yet. Linked up by ex-teammate Bradley Barcola, he effortlessly slotted in France’s third tally. The match did see a tense moment when Dayot Upamecano exited early due to an injury scare.
Data Debrief: Mbappe Surpasses Legends
With his assists tally for France now at 28, Mbappe surpasses both Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry. Over the last half-century, only Antoine Griezmann has registered more, with 30 assists.
Although Didier Deschamps’ squad wrapped up a facile victory and look ahead to their final exhibition against Canada, their expected goals (xG) standing at 1.46—startlingly higher than Luxembourg’s 0.13—came off as somewhat underwhelming.
