Kylian Mbappe has hyped up Ousmane Dembele after their commanding 3-0 victory over Iraq stating that it was really important for them to unlock him. Dembele broke his deadlock with a brilliant goal in the second half of the game and that was the final nail in the coffin for Iraq. The PSG superstar has been one of those players that could carry any attack and create chances for the strikers. France would have been on seeing Dembele returning to his best and they would have loved to see him click right before the knockout stages. The 2022 runners-up would have their eyes locked on the title and Dembele would play a key role in their success.

“We all wanted Ousmane Dembélé to score. We needed to unlock him, he’s too important for us,” stated Kylian Mbappe on the PSG superstar opening his goal scoring account. The Ballon d’Or winner has been one of the most instrumental players for PSG in their two consecutive Champions League championships. The winger looks to be in his best form and his finish was as clinical as it could get in the 66th minute of the game. Ousmane Dembele will be confident in carrying the momentum forward in the important stages of the tournament.

Les Bleus gather momentum ahead of the knockout stages

In the first half of the game, France were in complete control of the game with Kylian Mbappe leading their side. There were a couple of chances in the first quarter of the game but nobody could just get the ball into the back of the net. Then, Kylian Mbappe fired in an absolute screamer from outside the box and that set the tone for the rest of the match. Later on, there was a costly mistake that was made by the Iraqi goalkeeper and that presented a golden opportunity for France to extend their lead. Ousmane Dembele gave the simplest of assists to Kylian Mbappe, who could have even scored that goal if he was blindfolded.

The attacking unit of France have arguably been one of the best in the tournament and Michael Olise has been an integral part of the team. Kylian Mbappe’s attacking brilliance has been partnered by Olise in the wing and that has worked wonders for France. Ousmane Dembele was looking in good touch in the game but he would have loved to have something to show for at the full-time whistle. In the 66th minute of the game, Michael Olise played Dembele through and he finished it off neatly with a thunderous strike into the back of the net. 

France seem to be getting stronger and stronger with every passing game and this game would have just been an absolute statement from the side. Kylian Mbappe and his men are here to conquer the World Cup and the good form of Ousmane Dembele would be the icing on the cake. It will be interesting to see how things would develop for France considering their quality in attack and upcoming challenges in the knockout stages.