France won 1-0 against Turkey in the UEFA Nations League, with Kylian Mbappe scoring the only goal of the game. The match, which was new coach Zinedine Zidane's first game in charge, took place on Friday at the Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, Turkey. Mbappe's goal came from the left wing, where he was moved by Zidane after playing through the middle of the France attack under former coach Didier Deschamps at the recent World Cup.
Mbappe's goal was his 67th international goal, and it was assisted by Michael Olise. The goal came after Olise's superb strike was tipped over by home goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir late in the first half. Mbappe controlled and fired in low at the near post to give France the lead. However, his celebration was cut short as he winced in pain and had to receive treatment.
Mbappe's injury concern overshadowed Zidane's first match as coach, which ended with France securing a win. The Real Madrid superstar tried to carry on after receiving treatment but eventually had to be replaced by Desire Doue due to the injury. France and Real will now nervously wait to discover the extent of the injury, with Les Bleus playing three more games over the next 10 days.
Zidane's first team selection was not dramatically different from the side that regularly played at the World Cup. However, there were some changes, including Adrien Truffert starting at left-back and Rayan Cherki coming into the starting XI. Cherki plays for Manchester City. Zidane, a France legend and 1998 World Cup winner, is making his return to elite coaching for the first time since his second stint in charge of Madrid ended in 2021.
France goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a crucial save at the start of the second half, tipping over an attempt by Abdulkerim Bardakci for Turkey. Turkey finished bottom of their group at the World Cup despite a 3-2 win over co-hosts the United States. The match also saw Jules Kounde hit the post for France before Turkey were reduced to 10 men late on.
Turkey's goalkeeper, Ugurcan Cakir, was given a red card after a VAR review for handling the ball outside his area. The incident occurred when he came flying out to halt Bradley Barcola as the France substitute raced through on goal. German referee Felix Zwayer initially waved play on before undertaking the VAR review.
France will now go to Brussels to face Belgium on Monday, while Turkey hosts Italy next on Monday. Belgium won 2-0 away to Italy on Friday. Zidane will then make his home debut as coach against the Italians at the Stade de France next Friday.
Key points
- Kylian Mbappe scored the only goal of the game before leaving with a knee injury.
- Zinedine Zidane's first game as coach of France ended with a 1-0 win against Turkey.
- France will now face Belgium on Monday in the UEFA Nations League.
