Defending champions France will gear up for the second round of fixtures as they face dark horses Denmark in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Group D encounter in Qatar at Stadium 974 on Saturday, November 26. A goalless draw between Denmark and Tunisia during the first round of fixtures means that Les Bleus are only one win away from securing the knockout round berth. On the other hand, Denmark would enjoy being the reason behind another upset at the World Cup, but that does look unlikely.

In their last game, France walloped Australia 4-1. The Socceroos did put up a fight as they drew first blood within nine minutes. However, Les Bleus should were calm and composed even after trailing early on. Olivier Giroud bagged a brace that also saw him become the joint-top scorer of France, tied at the top with Thierry Henry. Both Giroud and Henry have scored 51 goals for Les Bleus and the former will be looking to become the outright leading goal scorer of the nation against Denmark.

Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2022 - Race for Golden Boot

Apart from Olivier Giroud, quite a few players caught the eye of spectators. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot got his name on the score sheet and also assisted Giroud’s goal. 22-year-old Aurelien Tchouameni finished the game with a passing accuracy of 96 percent. A stellar performance by the French duo in midfield ensured that the absence of N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba does not affect the side.

Out in front, attackers Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe combined to score France’s third goal of the match. The only negative for Les Bleus in the last match must be the injury to left-back Lucas Hernandez. The 26-year-old was substituted just 13 minutes into the game as his brother, Theo Hernandez, came on to replace him. Less than 15 minutes after coming on, Theo assisted the first goal that was scored by Rabiot.

Coach Didier Deschamps is surely pleased with his side’s performance, and he will surely field an almost unchanged eleven against Denmark.

Check: FIFA World Cup 2022 Points Table

Denmark will be looking at the history books and making themselves realise that beating France is possible for them. The Red and Whites have not lost against France this year. The Danes did the double over France in the UEFA Nations League in June and then in September this year. Even in the World Cup, Denmark beat Les Bleus in 2002. Interestingly, France were the defending champions back then.

Chances of lightning striking twice will be bleak as Kasper Hjulmand tries to fix what is wrong in his side and get them ready for this crucial tie. The Red and Whites rely on Christian Eriksen for creativity and in their last match, the midfielder did everything he could. The 30-year-old created the most chances of the match after creating five. Eriksen’s passing accuracy was at 91%

The defensive trio of Joachim Andersen, Simon Kjaer, and Andreas Christensen can prove to be a nightmare for attackers. Against France, the two wing-backs, Rasmus Kristensen and Joakim Maehle, are likely to drop a tad deeper to make it a five-man defensive line. Hjulmand could be content with France having the ball and Denmark going out looking for something on the counters.

Team News: France could be without Lucas Hernandez and probably even Kingsley Coman, who has a slight niggle. Denmark don’t have any injury concerns.

Form Guide: (Last five matches, most recent first)

France: W - L - W - L - D

Denmark: D - W - L - W - L

Head-to-Head:

Games Played: 16

France Wins: 8

Denmark Wins: 6

Draws: 2

Betting Odds: (Bet365)

France: 1.72

Denmark: 4.75

Draw: 3.75

Predicted Line-Ups:

France Possible Starting 11 (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Pavard, Konate, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud.

Denmark Possible Starting 11 (3-5-2): Schmeichel; Andersen, Kjaer, Christensen; Kristensen, Hojberg, Delaney, Eriksen, Maehle; Olsen, Dolberg.

Where to watch and match timing: The match will kick off at 09:30 PM IST on Saturday, November 26 and will be beamed live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. Fans can also stream the action online on JioCinema’s official website.

(Edited by : Abhishek Jha)