France will unleash their strong attacking players against Sweden in a last-32 match at the World Cup on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Erling Haaland will try to help Norway beat the Ivory Coast and move on to the next round.
The Swedish defence is preparing to face not just Kylian Mbappe, who has scored four goals in this tournament, but also Ousmane Dembele, the Ballon d’Or winner who scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory against Norway.
Michael Olise also joins the French attack, and his runs at defenders have been causing problems for opponents.
With their attacking skills and strong midfield, France looks set to reach their third final in a row at the World Cup.
The only concern might be their defence. Sweden has its own star players who will try to break through, although Premier League strikers Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres have not been at their best in this tournament.
If France beats Sweden, they will face Paraguay, not Germany. Germany lost in a penalty shootout for the first time in World Cup history on Monday.
France coach Didier Deschamps said Sweden has “nothing to lose.”
“Sweden are playing for their survival. Obviously, they will do everything to win the game,” Deschamps said on Monday.
“We need to stay humble, maintain our determination and concentration. In the group stage, winning the first game gave us some margin for error, but now we have no second chances.”
France entered the World Cup as one of the top teams, after winning the trophy in 2018 and losing to Argentina in the 2022 final.
Sweden’s path to the World Cup was unusual. They finished bottom of their qualifying group but moved into the play-offs due to their performance in the UEFA Nations League.
They made it to the knockout rounds in North America, even after a 5-1 loss to the Netherlands, as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stage.
Sweden coach Graham Potter said his team will need to do something special to beat France.
“They have quality all over. They have won the World Cup before and they have a fantastic manager,” Potter said on Monday.
“An exciting challenge awaits us, and we will have to play the game of our lives, clearly.
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