Thu 08 December 2022, 16:45
Tottenham HotspurWe’re counting down to the big one at the World Cup.
Saturday night. 7pm. England v France. Harry Kane and Eric Dier against Hugo Lloris in the quarter-finals in Qatar.
What a moment for the Club on the world stage as captains Harry and Hugo shake hands at the Al-Bayt Stadium in Al Khor.
It’s a fascinating tie, and we turned to Oliver Skipp, representative of the Three Lions from Under-16s through to Under-21s, with 16 Under-21 caps and Clement Lenglet, 15 senior caps for Les Bleus, international team-mate of Hugo’s, for their thoughts ahead of the weekend.
Initial thoughts...
Skippy: “It’s a massive game, two of the best teams in the tournament that I’ve seen so far, in my opinion. It will be a tight game, small margins either way will decide it.”
Clement: “In my opinion, I think France will play a good game and win this game. They are very, very confident, they’ve played well from the start of the World Cup with a lot of players at a very high level. Of course, we then have Kylian Mbappe on fire. For me, the best player in the competition at the moment. I’m very happy to watch this game, a tough game, but I hope France will be the winner.”
How do England stop Mbappe?
Skippy: “We’ve got the best full-back to stop him, if Kyle Walker plays. One against one defensively, there are not many better players. He’s played against Mbappe before, and Kyle has a bit of fear factor about him as well. It will be a great battle.”
Clement: “It’s very difficult. I’ve played against Mbappe a lot of times, played with him, too, and when he’s in very good shape it’s very difficult to stop him. You have to defend in a collective way to stop him, he's very strong in the first contact and don’t give him the possibility to run, because when he starts to run, he’s fast!”
How do France stop Kane?
Clement: “You have to be really smart to stop him. He’s a total player, really good in a lot of aspects. Of course, he can score goals, but not only in this way, he’s a good player for the team as well, he can assist, and he’s a leader. You have to play tight to him, give him less time to think and make decisions, play compact.”
What elements win this game?
Skippy: “Concentration, the team that makes the fewest mistakes, being clinical, although I don’t imagine there will be too many chances for either side. Having said that, I hope both teams go for it and show what they can do going forward. That would be great to watch on a Saturday night.”
Hugo the record-breaker...
Clement: “It’s really difficult to break records in the national team. Hugo has broken more than one. The game against England will be special, he reaches 143 caps, overtaking Lilian Thuram on 142. He also has most games in the World Cup. It’s important to say that, because when you are a good player, you play in this type of tournament, and he’s consistent in this type of tournament. I wish him all the best. If he qualifies against England, he will be closer to another star on his shirt, so I wish him all the best.”
Winner takes it all?
Skippy: “For me, I think whoever wins this will be the favourite. The winners of this and Brazil. I think whoever wins this will probably end up playing Brazil in the final. Brazil looked very good against South Korea. But you’ve Argentina in there as well, and there is one player who might just have something to say about it all... Lionel Messi.”
