France kicked off their FIFA World Cup campaign in style with a 2-1 win against Australia. Though the win was not the most convincing, victory in the first game is always crucial and the French will be glad they did so.
Sluggish and underwhelming against a well-drilled Socceroos team who were unlucky not to claim at least a point, France won, thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s second-half penalty which was awarded after a VAR review, and a late goal. Les Bleus would be more determined than ever after failing to win the Euro 2016 finals against Portugal.
The French team is filled with quality throughout their squad and Didier Deschamps might not get another chance to pick from these crop of players again. The team are capable of fielding two strong matchday squads; such is their depth.
Peru have returned to the FIFA World Cup after a 36-year absence from the tournament and they lost their opening game against Denmark 0-1. The Peruvians missed a penalty and wasted countless opportunities as the South American nation was made to pay by the impressive Danes.
Manager Ricardo Gareca will be hoping to bounce back from their loss against Denmark. Given that a second straight loss will pretty much end their hopes of group stage qualification, Peru will certainly be put to the task against this French side.
Team News and Tactics
France
Didier Deschamps will be looking for a second straight win, which will guarantee Les Bleus a spot in the knockout stages. The manager will be looking to tighten things up at the back, with France often conceding sloppy and unnecessary goals.
We could see the likes of Thomas Lemar and Nabil Fekir making starts this time, in order to keep the players fresh. At right-back, Deschamps could start Djibril Sidibe over Benjamin Pavard and at left-back Hernandez could be replaced by Benjamin Mendy. Even after the changes, France still look like a side capable of competing on all fronts. Peru will be wary of their danger.
Possible Line-up
Lloris; Sidibe, Varane, Umtiti, Mendy; Fekir, Kante, Pogba, Mbappe; Griezmann, Giroud.
Peru
Peru should mostly start a similar line-up as their bench strength doesn’t carry the same kind of quality that the France team possesses. The manager will be aiming to start the game on the front foot, as defeat will virtually guarantee elimination from the competition. Peru will see their all-time leading goal-scorer Paolo Guerrero return to the line-up after being initially suspended for doping.
Possible Line-up
Gallese; Advincula, Ramos, Rodriguez, Trauco; Tapia, Yotun, Carillo, Guerrero, Flores, Farfan.
Players to watch out for
Kylian Mbappe (France)
The youngster was kept quiet against Australia but given the fact that Peru need a result, the PSG forward could end up having a lot of space and time to produce the goods.
Paolo Guerrero (Peru)
The attacker should start the game this time around. He enjoyed a good spell after being brought on last time out and will be relishing to score in this time’s World Cup.
Key Facts
-The last South American team to beat France at the World Cup was Argentina in 1978. Since then, France is unbeaten in its last seven World Cup fixtures against CONMEBOL opposition (W3 D4), with three of the last four games ending goalless.
-France and Peru have only faced each other once, which was in a friendly in April 1982. The South American side won 1-0 at the Parc des Princes.
-Peru is winless in its last seven World Cup matches (D2 L5)
-France have kept a clean sheet in each of their last six World Cup games against South American sides.
Prediction
France huffed and puffed to a victory against Australia and it wasn’t convincing. Considering the quality of the French and the determination of the smaller nations that we’ve seen in this tournament so far, the game is sure to be competitive. Nevertheless, the French should manage to seal a win here.
