"A great moment" - Maignan reacts after penalty heroics in France's hammering of Norway

Mike Maignan played a big part in France’s 4-1 win over Norway, ensuring they won all three group games at the World Cup.

Les Bleus finished group with a perfect record. Ousmane Dembele was the star of the match with a hat-trick (Desire Doué scored the other), but Maignan also played his part. He kept out Strand Larsen’s penalty with the score at 3-1, thus putting an end to Norway’s hopes of a comeback.

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Interviewed by DAZN after the match, the Milan goalkeeper commented on the saved penalty, something that he has become well-known for throughout his career. His words are via MilanNews.

“It was a very nice moment, perhaps even decisive because after that penalty we could have gone 3-2-2 and instead we stayed 3-1. It was a great thing for the team, we work very hard and we are very focused on what we have to do. It was a great moment for the team,” he said.

Meanwhile, GOAL gave him a 7 out of 10 in their player ratings: “Wrong-footed for Norway’s goal but made amends with a strong penalty save, albeit the strike was poor. Good stop from the Bobb chance, too.”

Adrien Rabiot meanwhile remained an unused substitute after starting the previous two games, with Didier Deschamps opting for a bit of light rotation in certain areas. Now, France will face Sweden in the round of 32, a team that boast the Milan-linked Lucas Bergvall in their ranks.