Mbappé spoils the opening celebration: Zidane begins his France journey with a hard-fought win over Turkey
after coming off injured
Zinedine Zidane got his France reign off to a winning start with a hard-fought victory over Turkey. It was the first match for Les Bleus under his leadership after Didier Deschamps spent 14 years at the helm, and it saw Kylian Mbappé score his 67th international goal before limping off injured just minutes after finding the net.
France needed time to adapt to their new coach's ideas and settle back into a 4-3-3. Nobody felt it more than Mbappé, shifted out to the left wing, a role he had not played for the national team in two years.
The captain found himself double-marked from the off. Ousmane Dembélé struggled to find spaces, and Michael Olise was well below his best.
Turkey started the brighter, feeding off the intense pressure they piled on the France players.
Mike Maignan denied Yılmaz in the fourth minute before the defence cleared off the line, then the goalkeeper was at it again with a fine save from Kadıoğlu's shot in the 28th minute.
Through the opening period, Zidane's players suffered whenever they tried to play out and escape the Turkish press.
France gradually found their feet. Mbappé grew more influential in the final third, while Cherki tried to roam in the all-round midfield role, offering some good glimpses despite a lack of accuracy with his final touch.
Olise nearly broke the deadlock before the interval, but the Turkish goalkeeper stopped his powerful effort in the 43rd minute.
Turkey came out strong again after the break. Then came the decisive moment for France.
Pressure from Koundé and Cherki worked the ball to Olise inside the box, and he laid it off to Mbappé on the left. The captain finished in style for his 67th goal in a France shirt.
His joy did not last. Signs of pain flashed across Mbappé's face the instant the ball hit the net, and he sank to the ground before being substituted in the 59th minute, with Désiré Doué coming on in his place.
Doué wasted no time making his mark, threatening the Turkish goal with a dangerous shot just three minutes after his introduction.
Hunting a second, France kept the pressure on, and Jules Koundé came within inches of his first international goal only for his shot to rebound off the post in the 69th minute.
Bradley Barcola's arrival added another attacking boost. He brought pace and energy to the front line and kept the Turkish defence pinned back into the final minutes.
The night's biggest flashpoint arrived in the 88th minute. Goalkeeper Çakır handled the ball outside his area as Barcola tried to break clear, and off he went with a red card.
Esteban Lepaul got a late run-out for his first France appearance. Zidane ended his opening match with a win. The performance was far from perfect, but the national team ticked off the most important box by taking the three points.
