{"id":489985,"date":"2025-10-11T03:28:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T03:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/489985\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T03:28:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T03:28:15","slug":"mbappe-continues-hot-run-as-france-defeat-plucky-azerbaijan-in-world-cup-qualifying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/489985\/","title":{"rendered":"Mbappe continues hot run as France defeat plucky Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-testid=\"wcl-typoNewsPerex\" itemprop=\"description\">Kylian Mbappe was involved in two goals, which helped France beat a valiant Azerbaijan 3-0 in FIFA World Cup qualifying (WCQ), a far more respectable scoreline than the 10-0 when these teams last met in September 1995.<\/p>\n<p>With just 15 seconds on the clock, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/mbappe-kylian\/Wn6E2SED\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Mbappe<\/a> fired the game\u2019s first shot narrowly over the crossbar following Anton Kryvotsyuk\u2019s lax pass.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/team\/azerbaijan\/UTJj1saj\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Azerbaijan<\/a> soon settled and looked far more secure after surviving that scare, although Les Bleus still controlled possession and saw Malo Gusto test Shakhruddin Magomedaliyev after linking up nicely with Mbapp\u00e9.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/upamecano-dayot\/OMhLhEJB\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Dayot Upamecano<\/a> then failed to get a convincing contact on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/olise-michael\/E5pvwqkK\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Olise<\/a>\u2019s free-kick delivery before Mbappe\u2019s shot was blocked by Behlul Mustafazade.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/team\/france\/QkGeVG1n\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">France<\/a> stepped up their search for an opener as the 20th minute came and went with shots and crosses being unleashed with greater regularity, but Mustafazade and his fellow men in red continued to stand firm while Olise and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/hernandez-theo\/ATurLHr0\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Theo Hernandez<\/a> sent an effort apiece harmlessly off-target.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/rabiot-adrien\/l08EAP2Q\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Adrien Rabiot<\/a> couldn\u2019t quite guide his improvised attempt towards goal before Mbappe and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/ekitike-hugo\/ltVXPlJU\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Ekitike<\/a> both saw shots routinely held by Magomedaliyev.<\/p>\n<p><b>Mbappe finally broke the visitors\u2019 defences moments before the break as he worked a way through the crowd to pick out the bottom corner, scoring in a 10th consecutive match for club and country in the process.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img class=\"wcl-image_vG4MA\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/e708181b-cf90-40f1-b76f-01efd694629d.jpg\" alt=\"Player ratings\" title=\"Player ratings\" itemprop=\"image\"\/>Player ratingsFlashscore<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/deschamps-didier\/M9jPX2nf\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Didier Deschamps<\/a> came close again after the restart, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/coman-kingsley\/zHWLJOHq\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Kingsley Coman<\/a> seeing a shot saved and Ekitike hitting the post inside five second-half minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Mbapp\u00e9ewas denied twice in quick succession by Mustafazade shortly before the hour mark, before latching onto a Hernandez ball, but hit the side netting.<\/p>\n<p>Mustafadze got in the way yet again to deny Ekitike and Mbappe, before Magomedaliyev tipped <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/thuram-kephren\/bDU1sgDT\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Khephren Thuram<\/a>\u2019s fizzing first-time strike over the crossbar.<\/p>\n<p><b>Azerbaijan couldn\u2019t deal with the ensuing corner, though, and Rabiot rose to head home Mbappe\u2019s clipped cross.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/mammadov-rahil\/KzHT67Qc\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Rahil Mammadov<\/a> came close at the other end, and after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/mateta-jean-philippe\/nsFUj6GN\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Jean-Philippe Mateta<\/a> came on for his debut, there was concern as Mbappe asked to be brought off late on.<\/p>\n<p><b>Joy soon returned to the Parc des Princes as\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/thauvin-florian\/SMbMSc26\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Florian Thauvin<\/a> replaced the talisman for his first national team appearance in 2,313 days and scored a brilliantly taken goal moments later, as France maintained their perfect record in World Cup qualification to go five points ahead in Group D.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>While Azerbaijan sit bottom, Aykhan Abbasov can take encouragement from his side\u2019s display and their draw against Ukraine last time out.<\/p>\n<p><b>Flashscore Man of the Match: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/player\/mbappe-kylian\/Wn6E2SED\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Kylian Mbappe<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/team\/france\/QkGeVG1n\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">France<\/a>)<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img class=\"wcl-image_vG4MA\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/d3a4132f-c599-42e4-afff-544ca635f640.jpg\" alt=\"Key stats\" title=\"Key stats\" itemprop=\"image\"\/>Key statsFlashscore<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashscore.com\/match\/football\/azerbaijan-UTJj1saj\/france-QkGeVG1n\/summary\/?mid=pplKlwN0\" target=\"_blank\" data-analytics-element=\"ARTICLE_TEXT_LINK\" data-analytics-alias=\"internal\" rel=\"noopener\">Catch up on the match here<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kylian Mbappe was involved in two goals, which helped France beat a valiant Azerbaijan 3-0 in FIFA World&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":489986,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5309],"tags":[2000,299,36],"class_list":{"0":"post-489985","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-france","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-france"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115353413693376869","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=489985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/489985\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/489986"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=489985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=489985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=489985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}