It’s almost time for England’s long awaited clash with current World Cup holders France. The game is bound to be the Three Lions' biggest test so far, here’s how I think we will do…
FRANCE
Following a really underwhelming display at last year's Euros, France look to be a real force in this tournament. Key injuries to Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante haven’t stopped Les Bleus, with Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud banging in the goals. Mbappe is currently having the tournament of his life, with the PSG prodigy breaking Pele’s record for the most goals scored by a player under the age of 24.
Didier Deschamps plays the 4-2-3-1 formation and his side have recorded an average possession stat of 58%. France are a really dominant side and they will be a tough test for England.
As a whole I’d say that France are serious contenders to win the World Cup, as they have bags of quality all over the pitch (and off the bench). The winner of this game will most likely be in the World Cup Final.
ENGLAND
Things have been going smoothly so far this tournament, with a comfortable 3-0 win against Senegal sending the Three Lions through to the quarter finals. England’s breakout star this tournament has been 19-year-old Jude Bellingham. The Borussia Dortmund man has been a key part of Gareth Southgate’s team and is attracting interest from Europe's elite teams.
Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips has responded to the French media mocking Harry Maguire. He said: “Harry’s not played as much football as he probably would have liked this season and got a lot of stick, which I think is very undeserved. He’s a top professional and a great footballer. When he plays for Manchester United he’s one of the best defenders. For England, he’s been one of the top defenders for a long time, especially at tournaments. He’s always been that player when we have set pieces or we need to block or to make a challenge, he’s always the first one to do it. He’s always the first one to get his head to the ball. He’s scored some very important goals as well. For a lot of people, because he has been mocked quite a lot, he’s the first one they go to. If anything bad happened in the England team, he’d be the first person anything would be said about. It’s undeserved.”
Personally I think Harry Maguire has looked solid so far this tournament, so he deserves praise. I know he hasn’t been great for Manchester United, but that doesn’t reflect his performances in an England shirt. I think some people go a bit over the top when criticising him.
MY PREDICTION
My prediction for tomorrow’s game is a 2-1 England win. I’m hopeful that we can get the victory in normal time. Gareth Southgate and his coaching staff have apparently been preparing to face France for two years now, so let’s hope we have a good game plan. I think Mbappe will score for France whilst Harry Kane and Phil Foden will score for England. It will be a tough game, but England will come out on top and secure their place in the semi-finals.
MY PREDICTED ENGLAND 11 (FORMATION 4-3-3)
1 Jordan Pickford, 5 John Stones, 2 Kyle Walker, 6 Harry Maguire, 3 Luke Shaw, 8 Jordan Henderson, 22 Jude Bellingham, 4 Declan Rice, 17 Bukayo Saka, 20 Phil Foden, 9 Harry Kane
MY PREDICTED FRANCE 11 (FORMATION4-2-3-1)
1 Hugo Lloris, 5 Jules Kounde, 4 Raphael Varane, 18 Dayot Upamecano, 22 Theo Hernandez, 8 Aurelien Tchouameni, 14 Adrien Rabiot, 11 Ousmane Dembele, 7 Antoine Griezmann, 10 Kylian Mbappe, 9 Olivier Giroud
