France vs Iraq – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

France and Iraq continue their respective World Campaign in a Round 2 clash against each other on Monday at the Philadelphia Stadium.

France vs Iraq – Match preview and team news

France team news

France comes into this crucial match with great news as manager Didier Deschamps has a fully fit squad.

Defender Malo Gusto has completely recovered from a minor ankle knock he picked up during training. He is fully available for selection.

While Deschamps prefers to keep his lineup stable, he might make a few small changes to keep players fresh.

Lucas Digne is heavily tipped to start at left-back over Theo Hernandez. In the midfield, Manu Koné is expected to partner up with Adrien Rabiot.

Superstar forward Kylian Mbappé will lead the attack once again. He wants to continue his amazing form after scoring two goals in the opening win against Senegal. The blues look strong, fast, and ready to secure their spot in the next round.

Iraq team news

Iraq received a massive fitness boost ahead of this difficult challenge. Manager Graham Arnold confirmed that star winger Ali Jasim has fully recovered from a painful neck injury.

He suffered the injury during their tough match against Norway but is now ready to play. Even though Iraq lost their first game heavily, Arnold promised his team will play with a very brave and aggressive style.

They do not plan to just sit back and defend against the former world champions. The team might also make a big change in front of the net.

Goalkeeper Ahmed Basil is highly expected to start the game over regular starter Jalal Hassan. Iraq knows they need a positive result here to keep their World Cup dream alive.

Form

France

France enters this match in excellent form, winning five of their last six games. They started their World Cup campaign with a strong 3-1 victory against Senegal. In their friendly games leading up to the tournament, they beat Northern Ireland 3-3 but suffered a close 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast. With star forward Kylian Mbappé in top goal-scoring shape, the confident Blues are playing smooth, winning football.

Iraq

Iraq is searching for answers after a rough patch of form. They started the group stage with a heavy 4-1 loss to a strong Norway team. Their warm-up friendly matches in June also brought tough results, including a 2-0 defeat against Venezuela and a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Spain. The team has now failed to win any of their last three games and needs a massive turnaround.

Predicted lineups

France: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Digne; Rabiot, Kone; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe

Iraq: Basil; Ali, Tahseen, Hashem, Doski; Bayesh, Al-Ammari, Iqbal, Ali Jasim; Hussein, Al-Hamadi

How to watch France vs Iraq?

You can watch the France vs. Iraq match live and for free on BBC One in the UK.

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