France to 'crush' rivals: Cherki downplays defeat and backs ruthless World Cup run | OneFootball

France's defeat to Côte d’Ivoire may have raised concerns for some, but it does not appear to have shaken the confidence inside the French squad. Certainly not for Rayan Cherki, who scored France’s only goal in the 2-1 loss.

The Manchester City midfielder, echoing Marvel’s Hulk, said France are heading to the World Cup to 'crush' their opponents.

Cherki’s excellent strike was one of the highlights of the friendly against Côte d’Ivoire, which featured plenty of testing and substitutions, with the Ivorians' comeback coming in the second half after Didier Deschamps had effectively changed the entire side.

The City player underlined that the pre-World Cup friendlies are there for exactly that reason: preparation and experimentation.

“We are not going to the World Cup as favourites, but to crush everyone,” he explained in an interview with TF1.

“There is a bit of fatigue, but the goal is to be in good shape on June 16th. These friendlies are a bonus."

France still have one more friendly before the World Cup, against Northern Ireland on the 8th. Their opening match in the tournament is scheduled for the 16th against Senegal before they face Iraq on the 22nd and Norway on the 26th.