France coach Didier Deschamps insisted he was never worried his side might be the latest defending champions to be eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage after they became the first team through to the last 16. The holders followed their opening 4-1 win over Australia by beating Denmark 2-1 in Doha on Saturday thanks to a Kylian Mbappe brace, with the all-important second goal coming four minutes from time. That left France on six points after two games, and they now look set to win Group D as well, with just a draw in their last match against Tunisia all they need to guarantee top spot. It is a far cry from the last three World Cups, in which the holders have gone out in the group stage on each occasion. That statistic had been mentioned to Deschamps prior to the tournament, especially as injuries ruled out key players including Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante. Click here for full story
