Dembélé Hat-Trick Sends France Storming Into Last 32

France served up one of the tournament's most commanding group-stage performances on Friday night, beating Norway 4-1 to clinch top spot in Group I. The star of the show was Ousmane Dembélé, who helped himself to a hat-trick and left Norwegian defenders with nowhere to turn, according to The Guardian.

The Guardian notes that Désiré Doué added a fourth with a header late on from a Bradley Barcola cross, capping a display full of variety and pace from a French attack that has now scored ten goals across the group stage.

Norway had come into the match on the back of a positive run of results, yet the occasion exposed the gap between potential and proven tournament quality. The Guardian asks whether Norway might look back on this as a chance missed to test themselves at the highest level and build belief for the future.

For France and their coach, the mood is buoyant. A team once associated with caution under Didier Deschamps now carries a swagger that is worrying rivals heading into the knockout rounds.