Mbappe’s brace and Barcola’s goal power France into the World Cup knockout stage.
Miami: Kylian Mbappe continued his scintillating World Cup form with another goal as France eased to a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden on Tuesday, sealing their place in the knockout stage and extending the defending champions’ unbeaten run with another dominant display.
Mbappe’s sixth goal of the tournament capped another outstanding display from France, with Didier Deschamps’ side controlling possession, creating the clearer chances and comfortably keeping Sweden at bay throughout the contest.
France dictated the tempo from the outset, patiently building attacks through midfield while Sweden dropped deep, absorbed pressure and looked to threaten on the counter.
The breakthrough arrived midway through the first half after a sustained spell of French dominance, as Les Bleus finally turned their control into a deserved lead with a clinical finish that knocked Sweden off their rhythm.
Sweden emerged after the interval with greater intent and briefly posed a threat from a series of set pieces, but France’s well-organised defence remained composed, limiting the Scandinavians to few clear-cut opportunities.
Les Bleus doubled their advantage soon after the restart, raising the tempo with slick, one-touch passing in the final third before carving open the Swedish backline for another expertly worked goal, leaving their opponents with a mountain to climb against one of the tournament favourites.
As Sweden committed more players forward in search of a way back into the contest, France exploited the spaces left behind with swift counter-attacks.
Mbappe then put the result beyond doubt, calmly finishing late in the game to register his sixth goal of the tournament and tighten his grip on the race for the Golden Boot.
The France captain was a constant menace with his blistering pace, intelligent movement and clinical finishing, while the midfield trio controlled possession and dictated the tempo from start to finish.
Sweden fought until the final whistle but found little joy against a disciplined French backline, with goalkeeper Mike Maignan rarely tested as Les Bleus comfortably saw out another dominant victory.
The victory sends France comfortably into the Round of 16, underlining their credentials as one of the strongest contenders to lift the World Cup.
The former world champions have reached the knockout stage with an attack in prolific form and a defence that has grown increasingly resolute, making Les Bleus one of the tournament’s most complete sides.
For Sweden, the defeat ends its World Cup campaign after falling short against the defending champions in the Round of 32.
Mbappe struck either side of halftime in the 45th and 74th minutes, while Bradley Barcola added a second-half goal as France secured a 3-0 victory to set up a Round of 16 clash with Paraguay on Saturday.
