Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot have a World Cup last-16 game to prepare for after they breezed past Sweden in the round of 32.
As was expected, both Maignan and Rabiot started for France as they dismantled Sweden thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappe and a goal from Bradley Barcola, emerging 3-0 victors at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
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Two solid shifts
It was another tidy game for Rabiot, now a key member of Didier Deschamps’ midfield. In the first half, he also came close to scoring with a powerful shot that was parried by Zetterström.
He finished the match with a 92% pass accuracy and three recovered balls, confirming himself as one of France’s most reliable players.
It was a relatively quiet evening for Maignan. After his first save on Isak, the Rossoneri goalkeeper was perfectly protected by the central pairing of Upamecano and Saliba, who conceded very little to the Swedish forwards.
The only real intervention came in the 89th minute, when Maignan confidently blocked Gyökeres’s effort, denying what would have been a consolation goal. Another solid performance, another clean sheet.
GOAL gave Maignan a 6 out of 10 in their ratings, stating: “Had very little to do, in truth, despite Sweden’s attacking talents.”
Rabiot got a 7 out of 10 for his role in the win: “Supported the attack and went close with two decent efforts. Often looked to play forward.”
Ruben Amorim will have been watching with a smile on his face, given the French duo are expected to be key members of his squad for 2026-27.
From what I’ve seen so far it seems no other team is having nearly the same insane offensive strength and versatility the French have.
Olise’s scissor kick last night should have been a goal for the sake of football history.
France look so good. Scary amount of quality, particularly if you also consider the players left out of the WC squad. France could have sent 2 really strong squads to the WC.