France's halftime xG 0.02 eclipsed by Cape Verde's 0.04 vs Spain

France recorded a halftime expected‑goals (xG) of just 0.02 against Senegal at the World Cup, a figure lower than the 0.04 xG Cape Verde produced in the first half of their match with Spain.

In the opening half France hovered near the brink of conceding twice against Senegal. Despite being touted as the tournament’s most potent attack, Les Bleus generated virtually no scoring chances.

The statistics platform The xG Philosophy logged France’s halftime xG at 0.02. By contrast, Cape Verde managed an xG of 0.04 in the first 45 minutes of their game versus Spain.

The second half saw France adopt a more dynamic approach. Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring after a precise pass from Bayern’s Olise.

Bradley Barcola added a second goal to put Les Bleus 2‑0 ahead. Senegal’s Mbaye reduced the deficit to 2‑1. Mbappé then restored a three‑goal cushion with his second strike, sealing a 3‑1 victory.

The match concluded with France winning 3‑1 over Senegal. The result reinforced France’s status as co‑favorites despite the first‑half statistical embarrassment.