A stunning hat-trick; Norway blown away by the Dembélé storm

Gautam Ray

A blockbuster clash between France and Norway was expected to produce a thrilling battle. However, Norway coach's decision to rest Erling Haaland from the starting XI denied fans the much-anticipated duel between two of football's biggest stars. Instead, it turned into Ousmane Dembélé's show, as the Ballon d'Or winner struck a sensational first-half hat-trick to inspire France to a commanding 4-1 victory.

France came flying out of the blocks. Just 25 seconds into the match, Kylian Mbappé rattled the crossbar with a fierce effort, signalling the attacking intent of the hosts.

Dembélé opened the scoring in the sixth minute after latching onto a perfectly weighted pass from Mbappé. Cutting in from the right, he brilliantly wrong-footed the goalkeeper before calmly slotting home.

The French doubled their advantage in the 19th minute. Mbappé was pulled back from behind by a Norwegian defender but the referee played the advantage. Falling to the ground, the captain managed to square the ball to Dembélé, who cut inside once again and unleashed a superb left-footed strike to make it 2-0.

Norway responded almost immediately, pulling one back straight from the restart. France's defence was caught ball-watching as the visitors capitalised to reduce the deficit. Defensive lapses remained the only blemish in an otherwise dominant French performance and could prove costly against stronger opposition in the tournament.

The visitors created several more chances after the break but were denied either by the brilliance of French goalkeeper Mike Maignan or their own poor finishing.

Dembélé completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute. Aurélien Tchouaméni found him on the right flank, and the winger cut inside before curling a stunning effort into the far corner to complete a memorable treble.

Norwegian goalkeeper Egil Selvik also deserves special mention. Despite conceding four goals, he produced several outstanding saves, including two crucial one-on-one stops in the first half to deny Désiré Doué and Randal Kolo Muani.

Norway were handed a golden opportunity to get back into the game early in the second half when Theo Hernández brought down Oscar Bobb inside the penalty area. However, Maignan guessed correctly and produced a fine save to deny Jørgen Strand Larsen from the spot.

France wrapped up the scoring in the closing moments as Doué rose highest to head home the fourth goal, capping off an impressive team performance.

Although head coach Didier Deschamps was absent from the dugout, France lined up in their familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Michael Olise excelled in the No. 10 role, while Mbappé finished with two assists despite not getting on the scoresheet himself.

France's midfield and attack operated with remarkable fluency, moving the ball with precision and purpose throughout the contest. The only concern for the coaching staff will be the defensive vulnerability shown on a few occasions.

If France are to fulfil their ambitions in the competition, they will need to tighten up at the back. Against elite opponents such as Brazil, Germany, Argentina or Spain, defensive lapses are unlikely to go unpunished.