France qualified for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League after a hard-fought 2-1 win over Turkey in their final group match. The victory took France’s tally to 13 points at the top of Group 1, one point ahead of Belgium, while Italy remained on 10 points.
France broke the deadlock in the 49th minute with an own goal scored by defender Emrehan Topçu into his own net, after a corner taken by Rayan Cherki was turned towards goal by Adrien Rabiot before hitting the Turkish defender and going in. The goal took France’s historical tally of own goals scored in their favour to 42.
The referee disallowed a Turkey goal scored by Arda Güler in the 53rd minute for offside against his teammate Barış Yılmaz, who was involved in the play. France then extended their lead in the 80th minute through Elye Junior Kroupi with a shot from inside the penalty area after a one-two with Cherki. Abdülkerim Bardakcı pulled a goal back for Turkey in the 90th minute from a corner taken by Güler.
Mbappé returns and matches Zidane’s cap record
The match saw Kylian Mbappé return to France’s starting line-up, earning his 108th cap to equal the record of current coach Zinedine Zidane. The qualification adds momentum for Les Bleus ahead of upcoming fixtures, while Turkey remained without any points in their group campaign.
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- 13 points earned by France at the top of Group 1, one point ahead of Belgium.
- 42 own goals in France’s historical record after Topçu’s goal.
- The 80th minute saw Kroupi’s second goal, which gave France a comfortable lead before Turkey’s late goal.
Here is a summary of the key match details: France’s qualification for the quarter-finals, Mbappé’s return to the starting line-up, and a decisive own goal in the second half.
