Finland 0-2 France: Les Blues player ratings as Benzema and Mbappe wrap up qualifying campaign | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers

France capped off a fine qualifying campaign with a routine victory
France capped off a fine qualifying campaign with a routine victory

France beat Finland 2-0 in Helsinki on the final matchday of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, courtesy of second-half goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe.

With their qualification already secured, Les Blues made a few changes to the line-up that thrashed Kazakhstan 8-0 last week.

It certainly took some sting out of the side, as France failed to break down a stoic Finnish defense in the first half while the hosts also saw two shots from Teemu Pukki saved.

Benzema was subbed in early into the second period to bolster their attack and broke the deadlock 10 minutes later, although his effort took a deflection off Leo Vaisanen.

Just 10 minutes later, Mbappe, who had struck four times in their last game, joined the act with a sublime finish from the left to put the game beyond doubt.

Finland's hopes of reaching the play-offs were dashed as Ukraine beat Bosnia and Herzegovina to finish second behind France in Group D.

Here are the player ratings for France:


Hugo Lloris - 7/10

Teemu Pukki tested him a few times in the opening exchanges, but the France skipper stood firm and bagged another clean sheet.


Jules Kounde - 7/10

The Sevilla centre-back kept everything tidy at the back, making three clearances and distributing the ball excellently too.


Kurt Zouma - 7.5/10

A solid display in defense from the West Ham star, who made eight clearances and three interceptions.


Dayot Upamecano - 7.5/10

Another impressive game for Upamecano. He was positionally sound, read the game brilliantly, and even threw his weight around in midfield.


Leo Dubois - 6.5/10

Although his night ended prematurely with a hamstring issue, Dubois made three clearances despite running forward on a number of occasions.


Adrien Rabiot - 7/10

The Juventus midfielder was key in maintaining France's tempo in a disappointing first half, passing the ball around well and getting into good positions.


Aurelien Tchouameni - 7.5/10

An excellent all-round performance from Tchouameni, who was strong in defense and also pulled the strings in midfield.


Lucas Digne - 7.5/10

The Everton left-back was a live wire for his side, making energetic runs down the flanks. He made three key passes on the night and also assisted Mbappe for France's second goal.


Antoine Griezmann - 7/10

An unusually quiet night for the France No.7, who couldn't produce anything notable in the game before being taken off in the 67th minute.


Moussa Diaby - 6/10

Diaby was rewarded for his excellent cameo last time with his first start for France, but failed to impress.


Kylian Mbappe - 8.5/10

Following a quiet first half, the PSG ace burst to life after the break, assisting Benzema and then scoring a lovely goal himself.


Substitutes


Benjamin Pavard - 7/10

He replaced Dubois at half-time and delivered a fine performance.


Karim Benzema - 7.5/10

With Les Blues struggling to break Finland down, he came on to inspire a breakthrough and just 10 minutes later, put them in front.


Kingsley Coman - 6.5/10

A lively attacking presence as Coman showed off his dribbling skills once more, although his crosses weren't as good as last week.


Matteo Guendouzi - 6/10

The Arsenal man finally made his international debut, but was largely anonymous in the game.


Jordan Veretout - N/A

He touched the ball only once in eight minutes.

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