FOOTBALL – Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick as his ruthless already-qualified France side claimed top spot in World Cup Group I with a 4-1 win over second-string Norway yesterday.
The winger scored three times in the space of 25 minutes in the first half to send the 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up into the knockout phase of this year’s tournament with a spring in their step.
By finishing top of Group I, France are likely to meet Sweden in the first knockout round of the tournament. As runners-up, Norway will play Ivory Coast.
The France players had promised to go for a win as a tribute to coach Didier Deschamps who has flown home from the United States to attend the funeral of his mother.
Les Bleus – like Norway –had made sure of a place in the round of 32 before yesterday’s clash but wanted to top the group to take advantage of a lighter travel schedule offered by the tournament’s North American criss-crossing route map.
Their task was made easier by Norway coach Stale Solbakken’s decision to rest all but one of the players who started against Senegal earlier this week, including goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland and captain Martin Odegaard.
France went on the attack from the kickoff.
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