France needed only the final seconds of the first half to break Sweden's resistance, and from the moment Kylian Mbappé converted Ousmane Dembélé's assist on the stroke of half-time, the Round of 32 tie at MetLife Stadium was effectively settled. A 3-0 victory was, if anything, a fair reflection of an evening that Sweden spent mostly defending, occasionally hoping, and never truly threatening.
The numbers tell a blunt story. France amassed 25 shots to Sweden's six, held 62 per cent of the ball, completed 485 of 551 passes at 88 per cent accuracy, and generated an expected goals figure of 3.16 against a Swedish xG of just 0.56. Jacob Widell Zetterström, making save after save behind an overwhelmed backline, finished the night with nine stops. He deserved a considerably better team around him.
For all France's statistical dominance, the match had a strangely subdued opening period. Deschamps's 4-2-3-1 pressed with purpose but found Gustaf Lagerbielke and Victor Lindelöf disciplined enough to keep the Swedish defensive line compact. Potter's 4-4-2 sat deep, with Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak largely isolated from service. France probed, France circled, France accumulated corners (nine in total) without finding the breakthrough. Then, with the clock winding toward the interval, Dembélé slipped the ball through to Mbappé and the captain did what captains do, finishing to make it 1-0 at precisely the worst moment for Sweden.
The second half belonged entirely to France and, more specifically, to Michael Olise. The Bayern midfielder was the most influential outfield player on the pitch, collecting two assists and driving the attack forward with a directness that Sweden simply could not handle. Eight minutes after the restart, Olise found Bradley Barcola, who finished to make it 2-0 and end any lingering uncertainty about the outcome. In the 74th minute, Olise turned provider again for Mbappé's second, and the match was done long before the final whistle.
Mbappé's brace means he carries his best form into the last 16. Two goals, a controlled performance across the front line, and a growing combination with Olise that will concern every remaining team in the draw. There was no sign of a player weighed down by expectation, only one operating at close to his ceiling.
Sweden had Gyökeres and Isak, a forward partnership of genuine quality in their respective leagues, but they were starved throughout. Six total shots, five inside the box, only two on target. The midfield pairing of Bergvall and Ayari worked hard but the ball rarely arrived in positions from which they could threaten Tchouaméni or Rabiot. Anthony Elanga showed occasional enterprise out wide but without the supply line that might have made the scoreline more complicated for France.
France were not entirely without fault. Upamecano had uncomfortable moments on one or two occasions when Sweden managed to find Gyökeres in behind, and Rabiot's contribution faded after the interval. But Tchouaméni was commanding in the double pivot, Saliba composed throughout, and the front four gave Deschamps no cause for concern.
This was the kind of performance that reminds you why France, world champions in 1998 and again in 2018, arrive at every tournament as genuine title contenders. Olise and Mbappé combining, Barcola adding a goal of his own from the left, the defence barely tested across 90 minutes. They progress to the last 16 looking formidable.