France bets on inspired attack to confirm favoritism against Sweden
France enters the field this Tuesday as a clear favorite to guarantee a place in the round of 16 of the World Cup against Sweden. Driven by the strong offensive performance in the group stage, the team led by Didier Deschamps tries to maintain the high level to continue in the fight for the third world championship.
The French led Group I with authority. Kylian Mbappé scored two goals in each of the first two matches, while Ousmane Dembélé shone at the end of the first phase, scoring a hat-trick in the 4-1 victory over Norway, which used a reserve team.
In total, France found the net ten times and conceded just two goals in the group stage. Although the knockout stages tend to present more balanced and cautious matches, Deschamps believes that his team must maintain an offensive vocation.
"Some people asked if we could play this way. We did it four years ago, with different players, but in a similar system. When we have the ball, there is no problem. When we don't have it, we need to be efficient. We have the ability to create danger and hurt the opponent, and I want us to continue exploiting this strength", said the coach.
Deschamps also returns to the bench after being left out of the victory over Norway due to the death of his mother. At the time, assistant Guy Stéphan commanded the team.
On the other hand, Sweden had a much more irregular campaign. They debuted by beating Tunisia 5-1, but suffered a tough defeat by the same score against the Netherlands. In the last round, they achieved a 1-1 draw against Japan, a result enough to advance to the knockout stages.
Coach Graham Potter believes that the defeat to the Dutch will serve as a lesson for the confrontation against another world power.
"We went through a very difficult group. The game against the Netherlands will be a great reference for our evolution. We will need to grow from that experience, because we will have to play our best game in the World Cup to beat France. It's a big challenge, but that's what we're here for," he said.
Sweden will also have an important absence. Defender Isak Hien suffered a muscle injury in the match against Japan and is out of the remainder of the World Cup.
With this, Potter is considering moving captain Victor Lindelöf to the defense, a role he has played several times throughout his career, even having played as a midfielder in part of the competition.
"When a player has Victor's experience and quality, we think about how he can better help the team. The important thing is that he is comfortable with the role. Having this versatility is a very valuable resource", concluded the coach.
Nepo babies from the World Cup: see the selection of children of former World Cup players
Source: CNN