France began the Zidane era with a narrow 1-0 Nations League victory away to Turkey on Saturday. Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal of the match in the 54th minute before leaving the pitch injured, forcing his teammates to see out the game against ten men.
Zinedine Zidane named an attacking lineup featuring Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Mbappé up front. Les Bleus dominated possession (64%) but struggled to create clear chances against a well-organised Turkish defence. The first half ended goalless, with Arda Güler picking up a yellow card (42').
The breakthrough came after the break. From a Michael Olise through ball, Kylian Mbappé beat goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır with a low, placed shot to open the scoring (54'). The French captain injured his left knee in the process and was replaced by Désiré Doue just five minutes later.
The man: Decisive but out
Scorer of the winning goal, Kylian Mbappé now has ten goals in eight appearances this season. His confirmed absence for the next three Nations League matches is a significant blow for Zidane, who will be without his star forward.
Down to ten men after goalkeeper Çakır was sent off for a handball outside his area (87'), Turkey could not find an equaliser. Mike Maignan and his defence, where Dayot Upamecano received a yellow card (72'), held firm to keep a clean sheet. The win sees France maintain top spot in their World Cup qualifying group with nine points from three games.
Zinedine Zidane acknowledged the emotion of the occasion. "It's a lot of emotions," the new manager stated simply at full-time. France now turn their attention to an away fixture against Belgium on Wednesday.
