England face reigning champions, France at Al Bayt Stadium in a huge Quarter-Final showdown at 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Victory would see England reach the semi-finals for a second consecutive World Cup and third successive in all major tournaments, having reached the last four in 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2020 UEFA Euros.
France meanwhile are also chasing a second consecutive semi-final appearance at the World Cup.
Morocco or Portugal await the winners of this tie in the semi-finals.
Team News
Declan Rice is set to be available for England after he missed training in midweek due to illness.
Raheem Sterling (personal) is also set to be back in contention after he was temporarily released to deal with a family crisis, although he is likely to be amongst the substitutes due to lack of pre-match training.
Callum Wilson will also be available for the Three Lions after he recovered from a minor muscle injury which limited his training time this week.
Manager, Gareth Southgate has no fresh suspension cornerns to worry about with none of his players at risk of missing the semi-finals unless they pick up a red card in this game.
France will have Kylian Mbappe available for selection despite the youngster having skipped training during the week, due to a minor ankle injury despite completing the entire match in their win over Poland.
Jules Kounde and Aurelien Tchouameni are both at risk of suspension and would miss the semi-finals if are booked in this match, and France indeed do advance to the last four.
Stat Attack
- England are unbeaten in two previous World Cup meetings against France albeit in Group Stages of 1966 then 1982 World Cup tournaments (W2), winning 2-0 and 3-1 respectively.
- France have conceded five goals and scored once in two previous World Cup meetings against England (L2).
- England have won just one of their last eight meetings against France in all competitions (W1, D2, L5).
- All three of Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka’s goals for England in a major tournament have been scored at this World Cup.
- Coming into this round, no player has been involved in more goals than France’s Kylian Mbappe, who has scored five goals and created two assists in four matches.
Prediction
Having comfortably dispatched Senegal last weekend despite a sluggish start, England now face their toughest opposition yet because they will have to be at their absolute best defensively and on their game throughout this match to quieten Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembele.
Another slow start therefore is simply something that the Three Lions can’t repeat because France are a high-quality team with pace and danger right across the pitch, which will put the onus on their defence to deliver albeit with help from their attack who will need to clinically take their chances.
France though haven’t beaten England in two previous World Cup meetings but this is a different French team unlike any before them who faced the Three Lions at a World Cup, so they will come into this match full of belief.
Didier Deschamps’ Les Bleus though are vulnerable defensively and out of possession which is something that England must target, whilst goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris is well known to several English players through several club meetings against Tottenham which adds an intriguing edge to the game.
Either way, I can’t help but feel that this could be an entertaining attack-minded encounter between two strong teams but if Kyle Walker and Luke Shaw can silence Mbappe plus Dembele, another cupset might well be on the cards.
Prediction: England 2-1 France
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