England vs France: Reigning champs must overcome England frustration
France will be hoping to end their frustrating run against England at World Cups when the two sides meet for the third time on Saturday. The much-anticipated clash between Les Bleus and the Three Lions is the first time they will face off in the knockout rounds, with England defeating France twice during the group stages in 1966 and 1982. This time around, however, the stakes are much higher, with one team set to head home early while the other will have a chance at competing in the semi-finals and beyond.
Didier Deschamps’s side are hoping to become the first team since Brazil to win back to back titles, but they will need to successfully navigate their way through three tricky matches. France come into this side having earned a very comfortable 3-1 win over Poland, which was precisely the result Deschamps wanted to see after a largely second-string side lost 1-0 to Tunisia in their final group stage contest. The victory against Poland saw Kylian Mbappe further stake his claim for the Golden Boot, as he netted a brace and provided an assist for Olivier Giroud’s 52nd goal. Giroud is now France’s all-time leading goal-scorer after achieving that feat, ending the long-standing record established by the iconic Thierry Henry. At 36, the AC Milan striker will be hoping to match – or surpass – Roger Milla, who was 38 when he netted four times for Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup.
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This will the the third consecutive quarter-finals appearance for France, who also have an excellent track record against fellow European sides in the knockout rounds with just two losses in their last 10 meetings. They are also the first reigning champions to reach this stage since Brazil did so in 2006, having eluded the “Winners’ Curse” that struck Spain, Italy, and Germany in the past three editions. Despite their frustrating run against England at World Cups, France have the upper hand when it comes to more recent meetings, with just one loss in their last eight meetings across all competitions (five wins, two draws).
England, meanwhile, earned a comfortable 3-0 win over Senegal during the round of 16 to successfully book their spot at their second consecutive World Cup under Gareth Southgate. The English tactician is hoping to become the first Three Lions manager to lead the team to successive semi-finals appearances, and is aiming to help the team win three consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1990. However, England have a frustrating record in World Cups against European teams; in their past eight meetings, they have been eliminated in all but two.
Harry Kane, who was on target during the win over Senegal, has also hit a personal milestone. With 52 goals, the Tottenham ace needs just one more to match the 53 scored by Wayne Rooney to become England’s all-time top goal-scorer. There has been a lot of buzz from the English press as to what starting XI Southgate will field in this tough game, but whoever does feature, especially in defense, will have a big task in trying to contain the likes of Mbappe, Giroud, and Antoine Griezmann.
Will France, in their third World Cup meeting with England, finally get the better of the Three Lions? Or will England end a frustrating run against European nations to book their spot in the semis for the second consecutive time?
