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Kylian Mbappé was the author of a decisive start to play with the France team in friendly against Iceland, on October 11, 2018. Stéphane Mahé / Reuters

The French football team almost missed its first defeat as the 2018 world champion on Thursday 11 October. At Guingamp, facing Iceland friendly, the Blues were led 0-2 before Kylian Mbappé comes into play and brings his own in the shot (2-2). The tricolor invincibility continues, but it was just.

The reigning World Champions have come close to a brutal and painful return to the world this Thursday, October 11th. And even if they have not lost, this very complicated friendly match against Iceland has given them cold sweats. Powerless for long minutes, led by two goals, the French football team finally snatched a draw against Iceland (2-2).

Iceland's Ragnar Sigurdsson made the French team suffer in Italy on 11 October 2018. Stéphane Mahé / Reuters

A first period to forget

At the Roudourou de Guingamp stadium, Didier Deschamps decided to innovate a bit against the Icelanders. The world champions have released their two-star white jersey, leaving their opponents evolve in blue. And the coach, according to the physical glitches and his tests, changed his usual eleven by launching from the kickoff Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Digne, Steven Nzonzi or Florian Thauvin, while N'Golo Kanté, Blaise Matuidi and Kylian Mbappé sat on the bench.

Despite the festive atmosphere of the Breton public, the Blues did not get off to a good start in this meeting. The visitors, without complex and applied, quickly took their ease to afford the first and most dangerous opportunities. So much so that Erik Hamren's men logically opened the scoring thanks to Birkir Bjarnason after a mistake by Kimpembe (30). Without a miraculous triple save from goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris, Iceland would have even paused with two goals in advance.

Icelanders congratulate No. 8 Birkir Bjarnason, scorer of a goal against France on 11 October 2018. Stéphane Mahé / AFP

Back to the wall, Deschamps launches Mbappé

The sermon Didier Deschamps at the break did not really change the situation. Antoine Griezmann just had time to put Runar Alex Runarsson in the lead before the Vikings chilled the atmosphere by scoring the goal of the break: on corner, Kari Arnason was ahead on a Kimpembe corner in the hard to resume the balloon of the head and send it under the bar of Lloris (58th).

To stir a helpless blue-white-red attack, Didier Deschamps launched in the process his jewel Kylian Mbappé. But it took a long time for the French to find the formula to destabilize this Icelandic bloc. And finally, as hope flew away, the 19-year-old prodigy changed everything.

In three minutes, the star of French football overturns Iceland

Celebrated a little earlier this Thursday in the world for his picture in Time magazine that calls it " future of football ", Kylian Mbappé showed why he is indispensable to this team of France. Provocateur, the striker launched the revolt: his brutal blow kick opened the way for the goal, and his countered title rebounded on the unfortunate Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson, scorer against his side (86th).

The Roudourou stadium woke up. And Iceland has cracked. Kolbeinn Sigothorsson touched the ball and conceded a penalty kick. PSG striker Kylian Mbappé has assumed his new status and transformed the sentence (89th), registering in passing his 10th goal with the Blues and his 70th personal goal since its debut at the professionals. All while not yet 20 years old, and a few weeks before the election of the Ballon d'Or 2018 ...

The Blues are finally doing well against these tough Icelandic (2-2). The cleaver has passed close, but the invincibility continues. In the spirit, this match will certainly not remain as a model. But a certainty: with a Mbappé of this ilk, the team of France has a phenomenal joker.

Kylian Mbappé lifting the supporters of the French team at Guingamp against Iceland, October 11, 2018. Stéphane Mahé / Reuters