NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - France's march into the World Cup last 16 has been built on an attacking force so relentless that comparisons with some of the greatest forward lines in football history are no longer sounding premature.
With Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise combining for 11 goals and nine assists through four matches, and Bradley Barcola adding two goals and an assist despite not being guaranteed a starting place, Didier Deschamps has assembled an attack capable of overwhelming opponents in waves.
France have scored 13 goals in four games, 12 coming from Mbappe, Dembele, Olise and Barcola.
It is a level of concentration of attacking production rarely seen at a World Cup. The last trio to produce more goals at a single tournament was Brazil's celebrated 2002 front three of Ronaldo (eight), Rivaldo (five) and Ronaldinho (two), whose combined 15 goals carried Brazil to their fifth world title.
Whether France can match the ultimate achievement remains to be seen, but they are beginning to force their way into a conversation usually reserved for the likes of Brazil's 1970 champions and Hungary's dazzling 1954 team.
"When you look at the attacking potential we have, even in the history of football, it's very rare," midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni said after France's 3-0 victory over Sweden.
The numbers only tell part of the story.
MBAPPE'S PACE
Mbappe's pace terrifies defences, Dembele's unpredictability stretches them beyond breaking point and Olise has become the creative hub, his vision and silky touch linking everything together. The understanding between the three appears to deepen with every game.
Olise has provided five assists, leaving him one short of equalling Pele's World Cup record of six in 1970, and he and Mbappe have now combined for six World Cup goals, more than any attacking duo in tournament history.
Deschamps believes Olise belongs among football's elite.
"He's in that category. Kylian has been there for a long time, but because of what Michael is doing with Bayern Munich and what he's capable of producing for us, yes, he belongs in that category too, just like Ousmane," the France coach said.
"The understanding between our attacking players is excellent. It's not just that they get on well as people. They speak the same football language, and from that point on, everything moves in the right direction."
Yet France's wealth of attacking talent extends well beyond the starting side.
Barcola has scored twice despite sharing minutes with Desire Doue on the left wing and Rayan Cherki provides another game-changing option from the bench. Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored 12 Premier League goals this season, has barely featured and Marcus Thuram's injury — after a 13-goal Serie A campaign — has gone unnoticed.
Perhaps most striking of all is that Deschamps has persuaded a collection of elite forwards to work as hard without the ball as they do with it.
"The collective comes before everything else, and Kylian, as captain, is the best example of that," he said.
"I understand some players can be disappointed because they're not playing enough or not playing at all. There's frustration. But you have the spirit of a team. That alone doesn't win matches, but I know all too well that the lack of it can make you lose them."
(Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Ed Osmond)
