France vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

France face Northern Ireland in their final friendly match before the Worl Cup begins on Monday night as Didier Deschamps’ men looks gain momentum ahead of the biggest footballing event.

France vs Northern Ireland – Match preview and team news

France team news

Manager Didier Deschamps plans to field a strong starting line-up that will closely mirror his plans for the upcoming World Cup opener. The blues are highly motivated to bounce back after a friendly loss to the Ivory Coast.

Good news arrives for Arsenal fans as defender William Saliba is expected to start in central defense despite managing a minor back issue. He will likely partner Upamecano in front of goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

In attack, Kylian Mbappé is set to lead the line. Mbappé is currently just one goal away from tying Olivier Giroud as the all-time top scorer for France. He will get support from Ousmane Dembélé on the right wing and Michael Olise in the attacking midfield role.

Key stars like Jules Koundé, Theo Hernández, and Aurélien Tchouaméni will also return to the pitch to complete a dominant squad.

Northern Ireland team news

Manager Michael O’Neill continues to build for the future by trusting a very young and brave squad for this massive challenge. The team is in high spirits after a gritty 1-0 win against Guinea, but they must make vital defensive changes. Young defender Tom Atcheson is completely ruled out for this game after picking up a costly red card in their last match. Trai Hume is highly expected to step into the starting defensive line-up to cover that gap alongside McConville and Brown. In midfield, Shea Charles will act as the general to anchor the play and disrupt French attacks. The main attacking spark will come from Isaac Price, who has been directly involved in twelve goals during O’Neill’s current coaching era. Price will lead the frontline alongside Dale Taylor to test the elite French defense on the counter.

Form

France

The Blues are eager to find their rhythm after a mix of performances. They recently suffered a shocking 2-1 loss against the Ivory Coast, which exposed some issues in their defense. However, that defeat snapped a great winning streak. France remains one of the most dangerous teams in the world when their main stars play. They look to use this final game to fix mistakes and build confidence before the big tournament.

Northern Ireland

The Green and White Army enters this match with growing confidence and great team spirit. They recently fought hard to earn a gritty 1-0 victory over Guinea. That win showed their defensive strength and excellent teamwork. While the squad is very young and still learning, they have shown they can compete with tough teams. They want to carry this positive momentum into tonight’s match to surprise the former world champions.

Predicted lineups

France: Maignan; Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano, T. Hernández; Tchouaméni, Rabiot; Dembélé, Olise, Doué; Mbappé.

Northern Ireland: P. Charles; Hume, McConville, Brown; Smyth, S. Charles, McDonnell, Devenny, Morrison; Price, D. Taylor

How to watch France vs Northern Ireland?

You can watch the France vs Northern Ireland match live in the UK tonight on BBC Three or BBC Two Northern Ireland.

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