World Cup round of 16: France vs. Poland forecast, review and team news

World Cup round of 16: France vs. Poland forecast

By meeting all requirements for the World Cup knockout stage, holders France figured out how to break the feared "curse of the champions". 

The past four European World Cup winners generally neglected to qualify from the gathering stage in their next competition - France in 2002, Italy in 2010, Spain in 2014, and Germany in 2018 - and Didier Deschamps' 2022 squad will have been happy to end that run.

In the initial stage of this year's competition, Les Bleus qualified as gathering D winners, however, they lost their last match, 1-0 against Tunisia. Presently confronting Poland in the last 16, lead trainer Deschamps has cautioned his side to be careful about turning into the following enormous name to exit right on time from Qatar, after Germany, Belgium, and Uruguay all crashed out at the gathering stage.

"Will there be different surprises?"

 said Deschamps. "I just accept what I see. Today, even an extraordinary country, on the off chance that she is not prepared, can have unpleasant situations. Every one of the games is troublesome. Every one of the teams is great and ready. The players all play in great leagues."

Poland, who finished second in bunch C, "safeguard well" and have a "bad-to-the-bone of players" with great experience, the French boss added. "You need to respect what this team does, they deserve to be there."

Lewandowski: Poland will 'do our absolute best

A large part of the focus for Sunday's last-16 tie at the Al Thumama Stadium will be on two of the world's best strikers - Kylian Mbappé of France and Robert Lewandowski of Poland.

Having starred in France's 2018 World Cup win in Russia, 23-year-old Mbappé has been in fine structure again in Qatar, with three goals in the gathering stage. At 34 years old, Lewandowski is Poland's super going after danger, yet additionally his nation's commander. He scored his absolute first World Cup objective in the 2-0 win over Saudi Arabia.

Poland, Lewandowski 

After squeezing through the gathering stage, arriving at the round of 16 is an "extraordinary accomplishment" for Poland, Lewandowski told ZDF. He knows that it will be "troublesome" against the holders and that his teammates should "stay focused". However, if the Polish players "do our absolute best", they will "most certainly get an opportunity", he added.

Poland will "obviously" need to develop their loss to Argentina, said Jonathan Gorrie in the London Night Standard. Yet, boasting a goalkeeper like Wojciech Szczesny and a forward like Lewandowski "makes them a dangerous rival in knockout football".

The winners of this last-16 experience will confront Britain or Senegal in the quarter-finals on Saturday 10 December at the Al Bayt Stadium.

Match facts

Who: France vs. Poland

What: Fifa World Cup round of 16

At the point when: Sunday 4 December 2022

Where: Al Thumama Stadium

Start time: 3 pm (all times GMT)

The most effective method to watch television in the UK

Sunday's last-16 clash between France and Poland will be shown live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Inclusion begins at 2.30 pm and the match kicks off at 3 pm.

Team news

Deschamps rolled out nine improvements as he rested players for the last gathering game, so should review the serious weapons for the clash against Poland. Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, and Olivier Giroud should start in assault for the holders. Goalkeeper and skipper Hugo Lloris will also return while Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot are probably going to start in midfield. Theo Hernandez is uncertain with a lower leg injury and Jules Kunde is one booking away from suspension.

The "central issue" for Poland boss Czeslaw Michniewicz is who will start alongside Lewandowski up top, said the Autonomous. Arkadiusz Milik is "pushing for a start". Jakub Kiwior, Matty Cash, Przemyslaw Frankowski, and Arkadiusz Milik are one booking away from suspension.

Possible starting XIs

France: Hugo Lloris; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, Raphael Varane, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot, Antoine Griezmann; Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe

Poland: Wojciech Szczesny; Bartosz Bereszynski, Jakub Kiwior, Kamil Glik, Matty Cash; Przemyslaw Frankowski, Sebastian Szymanski, Krystian Bielik, Piotr Zielinski; Arkadiusz Milik, Robert Lewandowski

Predictions

If Poland "gets in the France half", they will be "fortunate", said Chris Sutton on the BBC. They just "don't seem ready to get the ball up the pitch" to Lewandowski, who has been so isolated. This has been a World Cup of shocks so "I'm asking to get some major embarrassment", however, this tie is as it was "going one way". Expectation: France 4 Poland 0.

France "faced a challenge" with their team selection against Tunisia, "the effects of which we're yet to completely understand", said Michael Potts on RadioTimes.com. Force can be "significant" in competition football and the state of mind will have been "straightened" by the 1-0 loss. "Saying that", Potts completely expects Kylian Mbappé to be "terminating on all cylinders" and "could put Poland to the sword". Forecast: France 2 Poland 1.

A "first-decision" French side, driven by Mbappé, should have "substantially to an extreme" for a Poland team who have "yet to truly impress despite qualifying from their gathering", said the Free. Forecast: France 2 Poland 0.

Given Poland's exhibition in the 2-0 loss against Argentina, it "seems safe to anticipate France will have a lot for them", said Jonathan Gorrie in the London Night Standard. With Mbappé rested and presently going for the Brilliant Boot, the French assault "looks a fearsome prospect". Expectation: France 2 Poland 0.

The stadium

Six gathering matches were held at the Al Thumama Stadium. In the knockouts, the stadium will also host this last-16 game between France and Poland plus one match in the quarter-finals. As indicated by Fifa, the 40,000-limit stadium's design represents the "Safiya" - a conventional woven cap worn by men and boys across the Center East.

Squads

France

Lead trainer: Didier Deschamps

Central member: Kylian Mbappe

One to watch: Aurelien Tchouameni

Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Rennes)

Defenders: Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Jules Kunde (Barcelona), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Raphael Varane (Manchester Joined together), Axel Disasi (Monaco)

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Genuine Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurelien Tchouameni (Genuine Madrid), Jordan Veretout (Marseille)

Forwards: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (Paris St-Germain), Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Harmed and out of the competition: Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Karim Benzema (Genuine Madrid)

Poland

Lead trainer: Czesław Michniewicz

Central member: Robert Lewandowski

One to watch: Nicola Zalewski

Goalkeepers: Bartlomiej Dragowski (Spezia), Lukasz Skorupski (Bologna), Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus)

Defenders: Jan Bednarek (Aston Manor), Bartosz Bereszynski (Sampdoria), Matty Cash (Aston Estate), Kamil Glik (Benevento), Robert Gumny (FC Augsburg), Artur Jedrzejczyk (Legia Warsaw), Jakub Kiwior (Spezia), Mateusz Wieteska (Clermont), Nicola Zalewski (Roma)

Midfielders: Krystian Bielik (Birmingham City), Przemyslaw Frankowski (Lens), Kamil Grosicki (Pogon Szczecin), Jakub Kaminski (VfL Wolfsburg), Grzegorz Krychowiak (Al-Shabab), Michal Skoras (Lech Poznan), Damian Szymanski (AEK Athens), Sebastian Szymanski (Feyenoord), Piotr Zielinski (Napoli), Szymon Zurkowski (Fiorentina)

Forwards: Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Arkadiusz Milik (Juventus), Krzysztof Piatek (Salernitana), Karol Swiderski (Charlotte FC)