England take on defending champions France on Saturday in a tantalizing World Cup quarter-final that will feature key battles on the pitch.
The first knockout tie of the major tournament between the two nations promises to be a high-quality game at Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar, and the outcome can be determined by the smallest details.
But how exactly could the game be won? BBC Sport takes a look…
A tough game for right-handed defenders
When considering how to stop France, the focus is naturally on Kylian Mbappe.
It’s certainly no secret that containing the Paris St-Germain striker, who has scored or assisted France’s last seven World Cup goals, will be key to England’s hopes of reaching the semis. -consecutive finals, having also made the last four of Russia 2018.
France are unbeaten in Mbappe’s 13 major tournament starts – winning all nine at the World Cup – and he has been directly involved in 12 goals in those matches.
An irreplaceable influence, he has been vital to France’s attack and leads his side in a host of attacking metrics, including shots (20), attacking streak implications in open play (36) and area touches opposing repairs (46).
There are similarities in the way England and France created their chances, both favoring attacks on the left.
Both teams have completed 41% of their attacks on this side, while no player has created more chances for their respective teams than left-backs Theo Hernandez (nine) and Luke Shaw (six).
More than half of France’s opportunities came from the left, where 26 chances provided a total of five assists.
That’s compared with three assists from 11 chances from the left side for England, who could deploy Shaw – second only to Argentine talisman Lionel Messi for progressive assists – and Phil Foden or Marcus Rashford against an out-of-position Jules Kounde at the start. ‘back right. .
Although it remains to be seen whether Gareth Southgate will choose to stay with a full-back four or switch to a three, there is no doubt that the England defenders on the right side – potentially both Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier – will move on. a busy night.
But Walker in particular will feel confident. The Manchester City defender has faced Mbappe in the Champions League on three occasions, with the Frenchman limited to an average of 0.7 shots per 90 minutes, a significant drop from his average of 6.4 in the 2022 World Cup .
The battle for midfield supremacy
Jude Bellingham’s superb performance for England in the 3-0 round of 16 win over Senegal led team-mate Foden to predict the 19-year-old. will one day be the best midfielder in the world.
Bellingham leads the tournament’s midfielders in duels won (26) and tackles won (11), and this disruptive aspect of his game will be crucial as he seeks to control a central area featuring Aurelian’s engine Tchouameni, 22, and the creativity of Antoine Griezmann 31.
The direct Tchouameni carried the ball 812.6 yards – significantly more than Bellingham (531.6 yards) – while Griezmann created the most chances (15) and big chances (five) of the two sides.
Griezmann has also played the most passes in the box (36) and registered the highest expected assist value (2.67 xA) at both teams, so limiting his influence in the build-up stages will be key for the game. ‘England.
That job is expected to go to Bellingham and Declan Rice, although Jordan Henderson could keep his spot after Rice missed training with illness earlier this week.
Bellingham have regained possession of the ball 23 times for their side in four matches – a tally in midfield among the two sides – and transient recoveries in particular will be important. While England (38) lead France (29) in high turnovers, one in six of France’s ends in a shot.
But England will also be looking to release one of their most creative players whenever possible.
Only Shaw and Harry Kane have offered greater creativity for England than Bellingham, who has so far played seven passes into the box and became the first teenager to attend a World Cup knockout game in of this remarkable performance in Senegal.
The story of two attackers
Shortly after Olivier Giroud became France’s all-time top scorer against Poland on Sunday, England skipper Harry Kane opened his account in Qatar.
Giroud, with three goals in as many starts, and Kane both have 52 international goals, with the Tottenham forward just a short shy of Wayne Rooney’s Three Lions all-time record.
Kane has slightly exceeded his expected goals value (xG) of 0.9 on his four chances so far, but it’s in the build-up where he’s been most effective for his team.
Leading Qatar with three assists from five chances created, his role in Henderson’s goal (below) as he faced marauding Bellingham against Senegal was typical of his wider influence.
Kane is far more important to the England build than his French counterpart, registering more than double the number of touches (123) than Giroud (56) at this World Cup, and making the most progressive passes (14) among the forwards of the tournament. .
But only 6.5% of Kane’s touches have been inside the penalty area, compared to almost one in five for Giroud.
And it is in the box that the Frenchman continues to deliver, with a shot conversion rate of 33.3% and three goals on an xG of 2.37.
England’s most prolific marksman is in fact Rashford, whose eight attempts in 132 minutes of football equals one every 17 minutes, followed by Bukayo Saka, Foden and Kane (five).
It’s Kane’s ability to keep the opposition defense busy and play others into his fluid role that could prove crucial.
After all, while eight of France’s nine goals have come from either Mbappe or Giroud, England’s 12 goals have come in eight players.
