France vs Poland Prediction: Fearful Poland will be crushed by inspired Mbappe’s France team

In the round of 16, two European teams, France and Poland, will square off. This match will occur on Sunday, December 4, at Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar. With wins of 4-1 against Australia and 2-1 over Denmark, France had a strong start to their group-stage competition. But surprisingly, they lost their final group game, 1-0 against Tunisia. Poland advanced to the quarterfinals despite losing their final group-stage encounter to Argentina.

France Starting 11 (4-3-3): Lloris, Upamecano, Konate, Kounde, Hernandez, Tchouameni, Griezman, Rabiot, Dembele, Mbappe, Giroud.

Poland Starting 11 (4-4-2): Szczęsny, Kiwior, Glik, Cash, Bereszyński, Bielik, Krychowiak, Frankowski, Świderski, Zieliński, Lewandowski.

Last Five Matches: LWWLW

FIFA World Ranking: 4th

Three of Les Bleus' last four World Cup campaigns have seen them surpass the Round of 16. Coach Didier Deschamps will have to make lineup changes for this Round of 16 matches because France still finished first in Group D despite losing their final game, 1-0 against Tunisia. He'll be hoping his returning faces have fresh legs for only France's second-ever meeting with Poland at a major event after making nine changes to the opening XI against Tunisia, which didn't pay off tactically when his side crumbled to that shocking defeat. After losing their sole previous match on penalties in the third-place play-off in the 1982 World Cup, Les Bleus may be motivated to exact some revenge in this year's tournament. That, though, depends on France showing a tough mentality since it is still being determined how an injury-plagued side would respond to suffering their first major tournament loss since Euro 2016, after which they went on to win nine and draw nine.

Last Five Matches: LWDWW

FIFA World Ranking: 26th

Poland nonetheless advanced to the round of 16 despite putting up a lackluster performance in their last group game against Argentina, which ended in a 2-0 loss for Poland. This was because Mexico needed to win their game against Saudi Arabia by a sufficient three goals margin. However, if Poland were to repeat their lackluster performance against France, it would likely be eliminated from the competition. Despite this, Poland's performance in this tournament may be considered a success regardless, as the Eagles have advanced out of their World Cup group for the first time since 1986. Poland's last five World Cup matches have resulted in a win, a draw, or a loss. The first goal scored in this match could determine if Poland's winning streak will continue. If the Eagles want to draw first blood here, they might need to play better than they did against Argentina.

When you consider that Poland has only managed to score two goals through their first three games, it is clear that France is the superior squad heading into this battle. It is important to highlight Poland's strong defensive performance, as they have only conceded two goals to Argentina while keeping Mexico and Saudi Arabia scoreless. However, France is the team with the most to lose from this encounter, and the odds sufficiently reflect that opinion. After a disappointing performance against Tunisia on Wednesday, which ended in a score of nil, the most crucial thing to keep an eye on with the French is that their offense has to rediscover its stride as soon as possible. 

Prediction:Just like against Argentina and Saudi Arabia, too much pressure on Poland's defense could lead to a penalty in this match with the runs from France from players like Dembele and Mbappe, who are fast and deadly in front of goals. Also, the attacking threat is going to be one sided, therefore, we do not expect a lot of corners in this match. 

• Penalty Awarded
• Under 10 Corners
• 2nd Half Highest Scoring Half

We need your feedback! If you enjoy our free betting tips and content, we invite you to write a review on Trustpilot. Find the icon in the footer of the site.