Dembélé’s Early Hat-Trick Dominates First Half
Ousmane Dembélé, the Ballon d’Or winner, delivered one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history, leading France to a dominant 4-1 victory over Norway. The match, held at Boston Stadium, saw Dembélé open the scoring in the seventh minute. He then added his second goal in the 20th minute. After Thelo Aasgaard scored for Norway, Dembélé completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute, making the score 3-1.
This performance marks Dembélé’s fourth goal in the tournament, having previously scored in France’s 3-0 win against Iraq. His display in this match may alleviate some of the pressure on captain Kylian Mbappé to consistently be France’s sole match-winner. Dembélé’s hat-trick was achieved within 25 first-half minutes, a feat that places him in distinguished company alongside other French hat-trick scorers like Just Fontaine and Mbappé.
The only player to achieve a hat-trick earlier in a World Cup match was Erich Probst in 1954, who scored three goals within the first 24 minutes for Austria against Czechoslovakia. Dembélé’s coach at Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique, is credited with transforming him into a Ballon d’Or winner by moving him from a wing position to a central role.
France Secures Group I Lead and Advances
Désiré Doué sealed the victory for France with a late goal, bringing the final score to 4-1. This win allowed France to conclude the group stage with the maximum nine points, having scored 10 goals across three games. They now advance as the winners of Group I.
France will remain in the northeastern United States for their last-32 tie, scheduled for next Tuesday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. They are set to face a third-place finisher from another group.
The match was played under emotionally charged circumstances for Les Bleus, as coach Didier Deschamps was absent, having returned to France for his mother’s funeral. Deschamps is expected to rejoin the squad on Saturday. Assistant coach Guy Stephan commented on the team’s performance, stating they achieved their objectives and played with enjoyment and intensity, despite some areas needing improvement.
Norway’s Strategy and Next Steps
Norway, despite the loss, progresses to the next round in second place with six points. Their advancement was already secured before this match due to earlier victories against Iraq and Senegal. This allowed coach Ståle Solbakken to make 10 changes to his starting lineup, resting key players such as Erling Haaland, captain Martin Ødegaard, and striker Alexander Sørloth. Benfica’s Fredrik Aursnes was the only player retained from the previous match.
Norway’s decision to rest players led to a more open and defensively chaotic first half, particularly against France’s attack. Norway did manage to pull one goal back through Thelo Aasgaard. In the second half, Oscar Bobb earned a penalty for Norway, but Jørgen Strand Larsen’s spot-kick was saved by France’s goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
The regular players for Norway are anticipated to return for their next fixture. Norway is scheduled to play against Ivory Coast in Dallas next Tuesday.
Other Group I Developments
In another Group I match, Senegal secured a 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq. This win provided a significant boost to Senegal’s goal differential, helping them secure a third-place finish in the group. Pape Gueye scored two goals, and Ismaila Sarr added his third goal of the tournament. Habib Diarra opened the scoring, and Iliman Ndiaye concluded it with a long-range effort. Iraq has been eliminated from the tournament.
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Source: aljazeera.com
