Heavyweights England and France will take on each other in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday. It will mark the 32nd time these two nations have played each other, but only the third in the history of this competition.
England have continued to build on their reputation as a strong tournament team at this World Cup. No one picked up more group-stage points than the Three Lions as they cruised through Group B – the toughest of all the groups according to the FIFA rankings.
They followed progression from the group up with a very comfortable 3-0 win against Senegal in the last round. Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka got the goals for England as they built even more momentum heading into the quarter-final.
France got their business done early in Group D as they secured safe passage to the knockouts with a game to spare. That meant a defeat to Tunisia in the final game was hardly the crisis it may have seemed without context, especially as Deschamps rested the majority of his first-choice players.
It was the Olivier Giroud and Mbappe show once again in the last 16 clash against Poland. The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker became France’s all-time leading goalscorer before his junior partner scored two excellent goals to put the result, and his nation’s passage, beyond reasonable doubt.
Saturday will mark the third time England and France have met each other in a World Cup tournament.
But their friendly five years ago, in 2017, could be more telling of what is to come from the quarter-final clash at the weekend.
In that game at the Stade de France, Les Blues lined up with Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud leading the line, and the latter has just recently become the all-time leading goal scorer for his country after scoring against Poland.
They also deployed Ousmane Dembele on the wing, where he has been flourishing for them in Qatar so far.
For England, Harry Kane led the line as he will likely do once again when these two sides lock horns on Saturday.
The rest of their starting XI that day looks vastly different to right now, with the exception of John Stones, Kieran Trippier and Raheem Sterling who have all featured in Qatar - as well as Eric Dier, who has been a feature from the bench.
The Three Lions took the lead inside the opening ten minutes courtesy of Kane, who was on the end of Ryan Bertrand’s cross.
But France would hit back a little over 10 minutes later through Samuel Umtiti, who was the first to react to Tom Heaton’s save to fire home the rebound. Just before the half, they would take advantage of another rebound as Djibril Sidibe gave them the lead going into the break.
Kane slotted home a penalty moments after half-time, but Dembele’s strike from Mbappe’s pass just 10 minutes from the end would be enough for France to claim victory this time round.
With plenty of new and familiar faces alike to line up opposite each other, we could be on course to witness one of the best games of this competition as these two footballing giants meet in the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time.
Saturday will also see England play France for the 32nd time in their history.
It may come as a surprise to some, but it is Gareth Southgate’s side who hold the upper hand in this fixture.
These two nations have faced each other 31 times previously, 17 of which England have won.
France have gotten the better of their counterparts just nine times in comparison - with five draws between them both.
Les Bleus will take confidence in the fact that they have emerged victorious more recently, given 10 of England’s wins were before 1950.
The pair have played each other seven times since the turn of the millennium, and Southgate’s side have been on the winning side just once, losing four and drawing two.
But this isn’t the first time the two will lock horns at the World Cup, having done so twice before - and this is where England can take confidence, having won both previous encounters.
Most famously, of course, in their World Cup winning run back in 1966. The quarter-final encounter between England and France will take place at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
