Two big teams coming off a disappointing game in World Cup qualifiers will look to get back on track in a World Cup friendly on Tuesday in Paris as France hosts England. England will visit France for a friendly at the Stade de France as the two sides look to build a little bit of momentum.
Of note, England will not play goalkeeper Joe Hart as Tom Heaton and Jack Butland are expected to be used instead. Heaton, who plays for Burnley, will get the start while Butland will play in the second half. There is some question as to whether manager Gareth Southgate is doing this just to give his backups some playing time or whether Hart is being “benched” after giving up a pair of goals on free kicks in the 2-2 draw versus Scotland.
France
The French were going to grab a deserved point in Sweden, but goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris made a huge late error as he brought the ball way out of his box, and then gave it straight to Ola Toivonen, who scored from the halfway line to give Sweden a 2-1 win. Olivier Giroud continued his hot streak with a spectacular volley in the 37th minute, but France failed to convert a number of chances and then Lloris’ mistake at the end of the game dropped France to second in the group behind Sweden. Most of the starters will likely play in this game for at least the first half, but with no more games until August 31st against the Netherlands, don’t expect much from the French. Lloris should sit this one out as well, due to that blunder.
England
England needed a late goal from Harry Kane to escape Scotland with a point after a 2-2 draw, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also scored after being brought on as a substitute. It did take two great free kicks from Leigh Griffiths to put England in danger, but England should have never been in that position in the first place. They struggled mightily defensively, and this might be a chance for manager Gareth Southgate to try a few things out. Like France, England doesn’t play again for a while, September 1st against Malta to be exact, so the starters won’t play more than a half, if at all. England has to find something in the middle of the park as the back line panics and they need protection, but there might not be anyone on the team that can do that job. Meanwhile, France have at least three.
Outlook
France has won three and drawn one of their last five meetings with England, who won 2-0 in a friendly back in 2015. This game is largely dependent on who Southgate and France counterpart Didier Deschamps decide to play. Many of these players played with their club teams until the end of May, and then went right into World Cup qualifiers, so this might be a good chance for the stars to get some rest. However, with how both teams played in their most recent games, the managers might have to play some of their big players more than they would have wanted to.
France has more depth than England, and they’re going to be at home, which is why they should be favored and why they’ll probably win. England’s first 11 might be able to hang with France’s first 11, but when it comes to the second 11, France has a huge advantage there. This should be what wins them the game, especially in the second half when the subs enter and try to make an impact on their managers.
If you’re looking to bet on the France-England match, Shangri La has the latest betting odds on sides, totals and props for Tuesday’s contest!
