Kylian Mbappe may not have found the back of the net himself, but his assist played a crucial role in France’s remarkable comeback victory over Chile, with a final score of 3-2. The match, held at Stade Velodrome, saw Les Bleus bounce back from an early deficit to secure the win.
France had a difficult start for the second consecutive game, conceding a goal just six minutes into the match as Marcelino Nunez found the net for Chile. However, the French team turned the tide of the game before halftime. Youssouf Fofana scored the equalizer, and Randal Kolo Muani’s header put them in the lead.
In the end, it was Olivier Giroud who secured the winning goal for Didier Deschamps’ side. Despite a late strike from Dario Osorio, France wrapped up their preparations for Euro 2024 with their ninth victory in 12 matches since their defeat to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final.
France, who had conceded a goal just seven seconds into their previous match against Germany, paid the price for another slow start. A well-executed one-two combination down the right flank allowed Mauricio Isla to set up Nunez for a clinical finish.
Despite losing Jonathan Clauss and Eduardo Camavinga to injuries in the first half, Les Bleus responded admirably. They equalized in the 19th minute when Kylian Mbappe provided the assist for Fofana, whose shot from 20 yards took a slight deflection off Igor Lichnovsky before finding the back of the net.
Mbappe himself came close to scoring before Kolo Muani rose to head home a deep cross from Theo Hernandez, turning the match in favor of the hosts.
However, France had to survive a couple of scares on either side of halftime. Eduardo Vargas missed two clear opportunities from inside the six-yard box, with his second attempt hitting the post.
In the 72nd minute, France capitalized on their stroke of luck and extended their lead to 3-1. Kolo Muani showcased his skills as he embarked on a brilliant run from the right wing into the area before setting up Giroud, who calmly swept in his record-extending 57th international goal.
Chile threatened a late comeback when Osorio scored in the 82nd minute, and it took a superb last-ditch sliding challenge from William Saliba to deny Ben Brereton Diaz an equalizer in the match’s dying moments.