France Overcomes Early Scare To Defeat Azerbaijan 3-1 With Mateta's Goal

Add as a preferred source on Google

Jean-Philippe Mateta continued his impressive form by scoring again for France, helping them secure a 3-1 victory over Azerbaijan in Baku. This match concluded France's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, having already secured their place in the tournament with a 4-0 win against Ukraine. Despite several changes to the lineup, including the absence of Kylian Mbappe due to an ankle injury, France managed to overcome an early setback.

Azerbaijan took an unexpected lead when Renat Dadashov redirected Rahman Dasdamirov's cross into the net just four minutes into the game. However, France responded swiftly. In the 17th minute, Mateta equalised with a header from Malo Gusto's cross. Although Christopher Nkunku and Khephren Thuram had goals disallowed for handball in the first half, France still led at halftime.

Maghnes Akliouche scored his first international goal with a simple finish, and Azerbaijan's goalkeeper Sahruddin Mahammadaliyev inadvertently added to France's lead with an own goal under pressure from Thuram. The second half saw fewer chances as France maintained control. Mateta missed an opportunity for a brace, while Thuram also shot over the bar.

France topped Group D in UEFA qualification with 16 points from six matches, finishing six points ahead of Ukraine. Ukraine moved past Iceland after winning 2-0 elsewhere on Sunday. The French team now looks forward to preparing for the World Cup next year.

Mateta has now scored twice in his first three international appearances for France. His initial goal came during October's thrilling 2-2 draw against Iceland. He is the first player since Louis Saha in May 2004 to score in his first two starts for Les Bleus. Despite Azerbaijan's early goal, France dominated with 17 shots compared to Azerbaijan’s two and led the expected goals (xG) metric by 2.72 to 0.15.

The match highlighted Mateta’s promising start on the international stage and showcased France’s depth and resilience even without some key players. As they look ahead to future challenges, this performance will boost their confidence heading into the World Cup preparations next year.