Dembele hat-trick as France swat Norway, Senegal stay alive

LOS ANGELES: Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as France powered past Norway 4-1 to clinch top spot in World Cup Group I on Friday as Senegal kept their hopes of a last-32 spot alive with a thumping victory over Iraq.
Paris Saint-Germain’s reigning Ballon D’Or winner Dembele scored in the 7th, 20th and 32nd minutes as France maintained their 100 percent start to the tournament with another dazzling attacking display.
The pre-match hype around Friday’s game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, outside Boston, had focused on a duel between France striker Kylian Mbappe and Norwegian counterpart Erling Haaland.
But that much-anticipated showdown never materialized after Norway opted to leave Manchester City star Haaland on the bench.
Instead it was left to Dembele to grab center-stage from team-mate Mbappe, in a potent example of France’s fearsome offensive arsenal.
Norway, who needed a win to leapfrog France into first place, threatened a comeback when Thelo Aasgaard scored after 21 minutes.
But Dembele’s third goal restored France’s two-goal cushion, and although Jorgen Strand Larsen missed a penalty in the 50th minute for Norway, the 2022 World Cup runners-up never looked like surrendering control.
Dembele’s PSG team-mate Desire Doue bagged France’s fourth in stoppage time to complete the scoring.
Dembele later played down the significance of his quick-fire hat-trick, turning his attention to the bigger challenges awaiting in the knockout rounds.
“It’s a unique and important moment for me but I preferred my performances against Senegal or Iraq,” Dembele said.
“I think I was much more influential in those games. I believe we need to stay focused because there are important things ahead.”
Friday’s game had gone ahead against a troubled backdrop for France, with coach Didier Deschamps leaving the team earlier this week following the death of his mother.
Both teams meanwhile paid tribute to the victims of the devastating Venezuela earthquake just before kick-off, lining up for a moment of silence.