World Cup 2022: The Biggest Test of Southgate’s Managerial Career

France vs England

You couldn’t have asked for a better quarter-finals matchup than between these two European powerhouses.

Whether you’re a supporter of these proud nations or you’re a neutral, this World Cup 2022 clash between England and France at the Al Bayt Stadium is as good as it gets since it pits together two in-form squads in this competition.

Both countries took care of business as England’s wire-to-wire 3-0 win over Senegal earned them a quarter-finals berth, while France defeated Poland 3-1 in their Round of 16 tiff.

One of the main backdrops for this contest is Gareth Southgate, who we listed as one of the managers who’s under enormous pressure to bring home the trophy.

Southgate wants to have what Deschamps had back in 2018, but do they have what it takes?

Talking Points

Harry Kane vs. Kylian Mbappe

The matchup between Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe takes the spotlight for this quarter-finals tiff. Although Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race with five goals and Harry Kane only has one so far, both strikers are capable of finding the back of the net any day of the week.

After scoring France’s final goal in their 4-1 win against Australia, Mbappe notched a brace against Denmark to seal their passage to the Round of 16 before adding two more to eliminate Poland.

Mbappe is in fantastic form and he’s ready to take on the mantle of being the best player on the planet now that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the twilights of their careers. And yes, he’s doing all of this at just 23 years of age.

Kane, meanwhile, opened his account in their victory over Senegal. Despite scoring only once, his link-up play has been key for the Three Lions as he’s the only player in the tournament with three assists.

England fans are hoping that Kane rediscovers his shooting touch just in time against France since he’s two goals away from becoming the nation’s all-time leading scorer. Wayne Rooney currently holds the record with 53.

Which supporting cast will rise to the occasion?

But Kane and Mbappe aren’t the only ones who’s capable of producing World Cup 2022 highlights since there are a few more names that we should take into consideration.

Marcus Rashford and Olivier Giroud have three goals apiece and they’ll be vital up front, while the midfield tussle between Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni is going to be fun to watch too.

Giroud recently broke Thierry Henry’s goalscoring record with his 52^nd international goal in their victory on Sunday. He is also France’s oldest goalscorer at a World Cup at 36 years of age.

Rashford, meanwhile, is in the midst of a resurgence after a woeful campaign under Manchester United last season.

Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni are two of the world’s top young midfielders right now. Bellingham is the hottest commodity in the transfer market, while Tchouameni has been a solid summer addition for Real Madrid this year.

History

This weekend marks the third World Cup contest between England and France. England have beaten France on two previous occasions during the group stage – a 2-0 victory in 1966 and a 3-1 win in 1982.

But France have only lost one of their last eight encounters with England across all competitions (W5, D2), and this is going to be their first meeting since June 2017.

The Three Lions have been eliminated from six of their last eight World Cup knockout games against fellow European countries. In contrast, Les Bleus have progressed from eight of their last 10 against European sides.

France are the first defending champions to compete in the World Cup quarter-finals since Brazil in 2006 after breaking the so-called “World Cup curse” that they started back in 1998.

Betting Tip

The SBOTOP World Cup 2022 odds predict a cagey quarter-finals affair as expected. They’ve given France the slight edge at 2.42, while England are priced at 2.82 and a draw after 90 minutes is installed at 3.30 in the 1X2 market.

This game is a tough call since they’re both evenly matched on paper. So instead, we’ll be monitoring the goal count and we’re inclined to go for Total Goals 2-3 @ 1.89, while Over 2.50 @ 2.25 @ 2.12 is also a good idea.

France are the only nation left in this competition without a clean sheet. And while England have a few of them already, they’ve yet to come up against a super-talented frontline like France.

 

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