| France vs Denmark |
|---|
| SCHEDULE | TIME |
|---|---|
| GAME | France vs Denmark |
| DATE | 26/11/2022 |
| TIME | 09:30 PM (Indian Standard Time) |
| ARENA | Stadium 974 (Rass Abou Aboud |
| LEAGUE | FIFA World Cup 2022 |
| FULL TIME |
|---|
| France [2-1] Denmark |
Match Preview of Frqnce vs Denmark
France can seal a place in the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup when they resume Group D duties against Denmark at Stadium 974 on Saturday evening.
Les Bleus thumped Australia 4-1 this week to kick off the defence of their crown in perfect fashion, while Kasper Hjulmand's men were held to a goalless draw by Tunisia.
Two former Arsenal strikers can now proudly boast to sit atop the all-time goalscoring charts for the France men's team, but Thierry Henry may not be sitting pretty on his perch for much longer following Olivier Giroud's record-equalling brace versus Australia on Tuesday.
Didier Deschamps's men had under-performed in the UEFA Nations League over the summer and conceded within the first nine minutes to Craig Goodwin, but Giroud's 50th and 51st goals for France - alongside headers from Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappe - turned the game on its head.
Taking advantage of Karim Benzema's absence through injury, Giroud only needs to make the net ripple one more time to overtake Henry and score a record-breaking 52nd goal for his country - one which may very well confirm France's place in the last 16.
The reigning world champions are sitting pretty at the top of Group D and will be guaranteed a ticket to the knockout rounds with victory, and they could even confirm top spot should they win and Tunisia's showdown with Australia end in a draw.
Not since Brazil in 2006 had the World Cup holders won their opening game of the tournament, but having banished that curse, France can now endeavour to win six games in a row at a World Cup finals for the first time in their history - the last team to achieve such a feat were the golden generation of Spain in 2010.
While Christian Eriksen - making his first major tournament appearance for Denmark since his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 - was able to demonstrate some of the midfield flair that has made him a hit with the Manchester United fans, the Red and Whites' opener with Tunisia was otherwise a forgettable affair.
The two sides played out one of a few 0-0 draws to take place in round one, but Tunisia would have felt the most aggrieved not to have come away with all three points, even if they had to survive a late VAR check for a possible penalty on Yassine Meriah's handball.
Hjulmand has now admitted that his side face a "complicated" situation in Group D, where they currently occupy third place - separated from second-placed Tunisia on fair play points - but they will still be in with a chance of a top-two finish no matter what transpires this weekend.
Our Predicted Lineups
France possible starting lineup:Lloris; Pavard, Varane, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud
Denmark possible starting lineup: starting lineup:Schmeichel; Andersen, Christensen, Kjaer; Kristensen, Hojbjerg, Eriksen, Maehle; Skov Olsen, Dolberg, Damsgaard
Who will win the match?
We say: France 2-0 Denmark. Having been written off by many before the World Cup kicked off, France now have the wind in their sails after an emphatic opening-day victory, and their squad is still a hugely formidable one despite their plethora of injury concerns. Denmark's spate of positive results against France both in and outside of the World Cup should lead to some optimism within the Red and Whites' ranks, but a largely toothless attacking performance versus Tunisia has not set them up well for a meeting with the holders, who we think will march on to the last 16 in comfortable fashion.