World Cup: Mbappé and Olise shine in France's rain-soaked rout of Iraq

France, at least for the time being, have taken full control of Group I with a 3-0 rout of Iraq this evening in Philadelphia. Fears that the game could be postponed midway through due to thunderstorms was perhaps the biggest threat for Didier Deschamps' side to contend with.

A dominant 15-minute spell eventually culminated in the breakthrough for Les Bleus. Bayern Munich's Michael Olise recycled play back to Kylian Mbappé on the right, requiring a solitary touch before bending into the far corner beyond Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Basil. 

The hydration break came at the right time for the underdogs who caught their breath. Sadly, they would lose their talisman Aymen Hussein to injury. His replacement Ali Alhamadi was trigger-happy from the get-go, albeit never truly tested Mike Maignan as rain poured from the heavens.

With threats of lightening eight miles away, the second-half was delayed for the guts of an hour. The players eventually returned to a half-waterlogged pitch, where France required all of 9 second-half minutes to double their advantage from a calamitous Iraqi error. 

Full-back Hussein Ali's short free-kick had too much pace for goalkeeper Basil to control, allowing Ousmane Dembélé to square it and set up Mbappé for his brace. The crossbar rattled soon after via a cheeky Olise chip, while Adrien Rabiot couldn't head home to a half-empty net. 

Ex-BVB talisman Dembélé would get his goal with 23 minutes to go. Olise provided the killer pass for his compatriot to plunge inside the left upright. Aside from an Mbappé chance spurned late on, France eased off the gas and coasted to a second victory in Group I.