England v France is a World Cup 2022 quarter-final match played on Saturday at 20:00: odds, predictions, TV and streaming.
The clash that exudes the most fascination among the quarter-finals. No ifs, ands or buts. They call it the derby of the English Channel, but the rivalry between France and England, historical antagonists even outside football, has centuries-old roots. In the distant past both sought to dominate the world, today they aspire to do so with football.
The problem is that after Saturday night only one will remain in contention for the final victory, while the other will be forced to reluctantly leave Qatar, obviously empty-handed. Whoever remains in the Persian Gulf will instead face the winner of the match between Morocco and Portugal in the semifinals. With the very real prospect of then meeting one of the two South American greats in the final in Lusail. In short, all the ingredients are there for a highly spectacular match at the A-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor: both Didier Deschamps’ and Gareth Southgate’s men have landed in the top eight with enormous ambitions. And, more importantly, in excellent health.
England on the test of truth
Bellingham
For the English it is inevitably yet another litmus test. The examination of France, against the reigning world champions and, on paper, the strongest selection on the planet, perhaps on a par with Brazil, to understand once and for all if this really is the right generation to bring “football back home”, as the famous chorus says, but which did not bring luck in the 2021 European Championships – the final lost on penalties to Italy – and put an end to a wait that has been going on since 1966. England – who already finished in the top four in Russia in 2018 – are a team with extremely high potential, complete in all departments and with young talent that has definitely blossomed in the last two years.
One of them is the class of 2002 Jude Bellingham, a great protagonist of the victory in the round of 16 against Senegal, who has become in his own right one of the best midfielders in the world.
It may well bear his face that this national team is dying to prove that it is ready to make the leap, so that it will not be remembered as yet another unfinished business, melting away like snow in the sun at the first difficulty. So far Southgate, who has been criticised after his team’s relegation to the Nations League, can reproach himself very little: his team is undefeated, they have won the round with 7 points out of 9 available and overall they have scored 12 goals, the best attack in the World Cup together with Portugal’s. The downside was the blank-net draw with the USA, the only team to tactically harness the Three Lions. Senegal, on the other hand, were swept aside 3-0: the Africans broke down after the first goal and it was then child’s play for England.
Mbappé is unstoppable
A clean sweep also for the transalpines, who were only defeated in the irrelevant third game of the group against Tunisia (0-1) with qualification and first place already in the bag. Deschamps on that occasion exaggerated with the turnover and some motivation was physiologically lacking. On the other hand, the superiority of Mbappé and his teammates was evident in the other three matches: France overwhelmed Australia in the opening match (4-1), won 2-1 over Denmark thanks to a double by the Psg phenomenon, who repeated himself in the round of 16 against Poland, who were beaten 3-1.
Against the Poles, Mbappé scored two more – one more beautiful than the other – and is already up to five goals. Few can hold a candle to him at the moment and he could become the needle of the scales in the balanced challenge against the English. France, on the other hand, have a few problems in defence, which has never been inviolate in Qatar.
England-France: latest line-up news
Deschamps
In England, Sterling will definitely start from the bench: the Chelsea striker had left the training camp to be near his family, who were involved in an armed robbery. White, who is also absent for personal reasons, will not be there either. On the other hand, midfielder Rice, who had missed training on Wednesday, will not be affected. At the centre of the attack Southgate will confirm Kane, flanked by stars Saka and Foden. And he will see the three-man midfield again with Henderson, who scored in the eighth against Senegal.
On the other side, Deschamps is relying on the tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1, with Griezmann acting as a link between the midfield and the attack, a new role that has made him a mainstay of this team. On the Milan player Giroud, who after his goal against Poland has surpassed Henry and become the most prolific player in the Bleus’ history. In defence, the coach relies instead on Varane and Upamecano.
The prediction
There will be no shortage of goals and spectacle in this quarter-final that promises sparks. The offensive numbers of the two selections speak for themselves: these two teams have an impressive amount of offensive talent and have scored with extraordinary regularity so far. The difference, as we have already said, could be made by an absolute phenomenon like Mbappé, who with his explosiveness can put English defenders in serious difficulty. In any case, both are likely to score in a match in which Didier Deschamps’ men should come out on top.
England v France line-ups
- INGHILTERRA (4-3-3): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw; Bellingham, Rice, Henderson; Saka, Kane, Foden.
- FRANCE (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Koundé, Varane, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouaméni, Rabiot; Dembélé, Griezmann, Mbappé; Giroud.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-2
