türkiye vs france: Mbappé injured in Zidane debut win
Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal as France beat Türkiye 1-0 in the UEFA Nations League, but the Paris-born forward limped off soon after and is out for the…
TURKIYE — In türkiye vs france, Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal and then limped out of the match, leaving Zinedine Zidane’s first game in charge of France with a 1-0 Nations League win and an injury concern that now runs beyond the night.
The Real Madrid forward struck early in the second half from Michael Olise’s pass, but France’s relief was brief. Mbappé was replaced five minutes later, and France later confirmed he has been ruled out of the rest of the international window after injuring his knee while scoring.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good. I think he’ll have to go back,” Zidane said. “We’re not going to take any risks. He has swelling in the knee. It’s not encouraging.”
Zidane starts with a narrow win in türkiye vs france
The result gave Zidane a winning start after he replaced Didier Deschamps following the World Cup this summer. It also marked his first time managing a senior team other than Real Madrid, the club he led to three Champions League titles and two La Liga titles across two spells.
France had to work for it. Türkiye created the first real opening through Baris Yilmaz, while the hosts also had a penalty appeal waved away after Yilmaz went down in the box following a collision with Maxence Lacroix. France then took control of possession, but Türkiye stayed compact and kept the game tight until the decisive moment.
Mbappé’s goal came after a spell of Turkish pressure. He collected Olise’s pass and finished from close range to reach a record-extending 67th goal for France. Moments later, though, the forward was visibly uncomfortable and did not continue for long. That was the trade-off on the night. The goal counted, the injury stung.
Türkiye had one late flashpoint of its own when goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir was sent off for handling the ball outside the box. By then, France had already protected the lead and closed out a match that was rarely comfortable, even with the scoreline in their favor.
Why this result matters
The bigger issue for France is Mbappé’s fitness. He remains the player around whom much of the attack is built, and Zidane’s first public answer to a major problem has arrived fast. With the striker unavailable for the rest of the window, France lose their most direct threat and a player who can change a match in one touch.
For Türkiye, the defeat was narrow enough to leave some frustration. They had moments, they forced France to defend, and they kept the crowd involved until late. But the final ball was missing when it mattered, and France’s quality in the key moment made the difference.
Elsewhere in Friday’s Nations League action, Belgium beat Italy 2-0 in Rome, with only 47,155 spectators in the 70,000-seat Stadio Olimpico. France’s focus, though, will stay on the knee that took Mbappé out after the winning goal — and whether Zidane can navigate the rest of the window without him.
Source: theguardian.com
