ไทย
English
中國人
It is rare to see a World Cup semifinal where both competing nations enter with such open and mutual confidence.
France's entire tournament run has been an exercise in Didier Deschamps attempting to temper the expectations of his squad and the broader public. "In my experience, it isn't when a French athlete feels at ease that they perform at their best," the no-nonsense manager cautioned.
Nevertheless, a streak of six consecutive victories, each impressive in its own right, has cultivated a well-earned sense of belief.
Spain has been far less spectacular, yet appears even more self-assured. Lamine Yamal's pointed remark directed at the French squad has been echoed by Rodri and manager Luis de la Fuente himself. "With the greatest respect for our opponents," the Basque coach began, "we believe we are capable of defeating any team."
Given the quality of players available to both sides, that level of confidence is entirely justified.
Kylian Mbappe Shakes Off Injury Concerns
Concern spread quickly when Kylian Mbappé collapsed to the ground without any contact from an opponent or the ball during the second half of France's comfortable quarterfinal victory over Morocco.
With the result already secured, the inspirational captain succumbed to the discomfort in his ankle and was withdrawn from the pitch for the final 15 minutes. Both Deschamps and Mbappé himself were quick to stress that the forward would be fully fit for Tuesday's semifinal clash.
Mbappé remains the focal point of a well-organized side. There are only two genuine selection debates within Deschamps's current setup: the left wing role and Adrien Rabiot's midfield partner.
The French boss has had the luxury of rotating between PSG teammates Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola to round out a lethal front four that consistently features Mbappé, Michael Olise, and Ousmane Dembélé. Barcola earned the starting spot on Tuesday.
The gifted Manu Koné has shown himself to be a capable stand-in for Aurélien Tchouaméni. However, the Real Madrid stalwart was considered fit enough to take his place alongside Rabiot.
France starting XI vs. Spain (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Aurélien Tchouaméni, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola; Kylian Mbappé.
Luis de la Fuente's Midfield Shuffle
The one potential vulnerability in France's setup lies in the midfield. Deschamps relies on the pressing intensity of his front four, leaving just two players in the center of the park. Spain tend to dominate opponents even without numerical advantage in what is their strongest area of the pitch.
De la Fuente has such an abundance of central midfield options that he could afford to leave Barcelona's Pedri out against Belgium. "Pedri is a world-class player, among the very best if not the best," the Spain manager acknowledged, "but Fabián is also among the finest players in the world if not the best." Pedri was again named among the substitutes against France.
It is a pleasant problem for any coach to face, especially one who has come to prioritize midfield control above everything else.
Enable functional cookies to see this feature.
Despite registering more goal contributions than both Pedri and Ruiz this summer, it came as little surprise that Mikel Merino was left out of the starting lineup. Arsenal's dynamic impact substitute has evolved into an invaluable option off the bench, netting late winners against both Portugal and Belgium. "I look to the bench and I see Mikel Merino and I think: 'I have nothing to worry about,'" De la Fuente understandably confessed.
Spain starting XI vs. France (4-2-3-1): Unai Simón; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Álex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal.