France boss Didier Deschamps was a happy man after Kylian Mbappé starred with a goal and two assists in the 4-0 win over Iceland that took Les Bleus right to the top of UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying Group H.
Monday 25 March, 2019
UEFA EURO 2020 Qualifying, Group H
Stade de France, Paris
France 4-0 Iceland
Didier Deschamps (France coach): "What I've appreciated most this week is our cutting edge in attack. Tonight [Monday] we had an opponent with a bit more clout than Moldova, especially in terms of athleticism. We had more of the ball, which was no surprise, and we used it well with some excellent link-up play. Our three forwards all scored, which is great. The players enjoyed themselves and gave the fans plenty to smile about, which created a wonderful atmosphere in the stadium. Our objective this week was to take six [UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying] points and we did so in style, which means we have had an excellent month of March."
Erik Hamren (Iceland coach): "I said yesterday that this would be a difficult challenge for us and that's exactly what it was. Conceding a nearly goal made things even tougher. In the final 20 minutes of the first half and the beginning of the second, things went a bit better but after that we defended too much and lost the ball too easily. We had a few chances too - [Birkir] Bjarnasson's shot, notably - but at 2-0 down it was really tough. We were up against a very strong team; they're World Champions and that fact was plain to see. Their finishing is excellent - they had five shots on target and scored four goals."
