Germany Triumphs, Mbappe Nets for France in World Cup Qualification
Four-time champions Germany secured a comfortable victory over Luxembourg, reduced to ten players, while Kylian Mbappe guided France to success against Azerbaijan in Friday's World Cup qualifiers.
Team captain Joshua Kimmich scored twice, leading Germany to a 4-0 triumph over Luxembourg and propelling them to the top of Group A on goal difference alongside Slovakia and Northern Ireland. They face Northern Ireland in Belfast on Monday.
Germany displayed confidence and composure missing from previous World Cup qualifying matches, having lost for the first time on Slovakian soil and narrowly defeating Northern Ireland at home.
Germany captain Kimmich converted a first-half penalty and added another goal shortly after the interval with a close-range finish.
A first-half free-kick by David Raum and a Serge Gnabry strike early in the second period sealed a crucial victory for the German squad.
Julian Nagelsmann, Germany's coach, commended his squad's "aggressive approach and determination".
"We had opportunities to score additional goals, yet the victory was well-earned and exactly what we required," he stated.
Germany exited the World Cup in the group phase during both 2018 and 2022.
Luxembourg, considered the underdogs, faced increased difficulties when Dirk Carlson received a red card and conceded a penalty for handball inside the area after just 20 minutes.
Northern Ireland sustained their hopes of reaching a fourth World Cup, their first since 1986, by defeating Slovakia 2-0 at home. Patrik Hrosovsky's own goal and Trai Hume's remarkable volley nine minutes before full-time sparked joy among the Windsor Park crowd.
"It was an excellent evening with a strong performance, and the crucial aspect is securing three points. We felt our victory was merited," commented the Sunderland defender.
In Paris, Kylian Mbappe maintained his impressive scoring run at the Parc des Princes, netting just before halftime. This marked his tenth consecutive goal for both Real Madrid and the French national team.
Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thauvin, making his return, also found the net as Didier Deschamps' team comfortably defeated Azerbaijan 3-0. They remain undefeated after three matches and lead Group D.
France will secure their spot in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico if they defeat Iceland on Monday and Ukraine does not overcome Azerbaijan.
Although securing three consecutive victories, Deschamps remained cautious and realistic.
Another context
"I won't celebrate excessively, we earned the win and scored three goals, though more were possible," remarked Deschamps, who was part of the squad that defeated Azerbaijan 10-0 in their previous encounter in 1995.
"It's three additional points, though perhaps not achieved as desired. We completed the task. Monday brings another match with different circumstances."
Ukraine occupies second place in the group, five points behind, following an exciting 5-3 victory in Iceland.
Switzerland preserved their flawless record and maintained Group B leadership by defeating Sweden 2-0. The Swedish team included Alexander Isak, Liverpool's latest British transfer record acquisition.
Kosovo and Slovenia battled to a goalless stalemate in the other Group B fixture.
Belgium, aiming for their 13th World Cup participation, were forced into a 0-0 draw at home by North Macedonia. The Macedonians famously defeated Germany during 2022 World Cup qualifying and now lead Group J, edging closer to a historic first World Cup appearance next year.