Gamblers Predict France Victory... England and France Have Seen Little Excitement in Past Penalty Shootouts
[Asia Economy Reporter Byunghee Park] France aims to avenge England on the World Cup stage for the first time in 40 years. The next-generation football emperor Kylian Mbappe leads the charge. England will face them with Harry Kane, the top scorer of the previous tournament, the 2018 Russia World Cup.
England's All-Time Record: 2 Wins, 2 Draws, 0 Losses Advantage... First Meeting in World Cup Knockout Stage
France and England will play the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup quarterfinal match on the morning of the 11th at 4 a.m. (Korean time) at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar. It is the most anticipated match among the four quarterfinal games of the Qatar World Cup. Both teams are considered title contenders, and they have a long-standing rivalry historically, including the Hundred Years' War.
It has been 40 years since England and France last met on the World Cup stage. England and France were in the same Group 4 at the 1982 Spain World Cup and played their first group match against each other. At that time, England defeated France 3-1.
England then defeated Czechoslovakia and Kuwait, finishing first in the group with three wins. France lost to England in the first match but then beat Kuwait and drew with Czechoslovakia, finishing second in the group with 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, advancing to the second group stage. At that time, the World Cup featured 24 teams divided into six groups for the first group stage, with the top two teams advancing to the next round. The 12 teams were then divided into four groups for a second group stage, and the winners of each group advanced to the semifinals. Ultimately, in the 1982 World Cup, England was eliminated in the second group stage, finishing behind West Germany, while France advanced to the knockout stage and finished fourth.
France and England also met in the group stage of the 1966 England World Cup, where England won 2-0.
This upcoming match is the third World Cup meeting between the two teams and their first encounter in the World Cup knockout stage.
Bookmakers are favoring France to win. ESPN cited the American betting company Caesars Sportsbook, reporting that France's odds are +130, lower than England's +215. This means that a $100 bet on France would return $130 if they win, while a $100 bet on England would return $215 if they win.
Next-Generation Football Emperor Mbappe vs. 2018 Top Scorer Kane
France's key striker Kylian Mbappe is the top scorer of this tournament, having scored 5 goals in 4 matches. After scoring 3 goals in the group stage, he delivered an outstanding performance against Poland in the round of 16 with 2 goals and 1 assist. Although he sometimes missed scoring opportunities due to overexertion in the group stage, the two goals he scored in the round of 16 were precisely placed in the upper right and left corners, making it difficult for the opposing goalkeeper to react. His scoring sense is improving as the tournament progresses.
Despite the absence of key players such as 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, and N'Golo Kant?, France is progressing smoothly thanks to Mbappe's brilliant performance.
Mbappe won the Young Player Award at the 2018 Russia World Cup by scoring 4 goals. At 19 years old, he set the record as the youngest French player to score in a World Cup and became the second teenager after Brazil's Pel? in 1958 to score two goals in a single World Cup match. Mbappe also scored in the final, leading France to their second World Cup title. He is aiming for both the top scorer title and France's consecutive tournament wins.
England captain Harry Kane was the top scorer at the 2018 Russia World Cup. England finished fourth, and Kane scored 6 goals in 7 matches. However, he did not score from the crucial round of 16 onward.
Kane has recorded 1 goal and 3 assists in this tournament. Unlike the previous tournament where he played more forward, he has dropped deeper this time to create connections and put pressure on the opposing teams.
ESPN predicted that England would not use an aggressive strategy against the defending champions France. England's manager Gareth Southgate has shown a tendency to focus on defense using formations like 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 when facing stronger opponents. England used the 3-4-3 formation in all four matches up to the round of 16, scoring the most goals (12) among the quarterfinalists.
England's Historical Penalty Shootout Record: 1 Win, 3 Losses vs. France's Penalty Shootout Defeat in 2006 Final
Both quarterfinal matches held on the 10th of this tournament were decided by penalty shootouts. In the unpredictable shootouts, strong title contender Brazil was upset by Croatia. South America's pride Argentina barely defeated the Netherlands to reach the semifinals.
Although France has a slight advantage in strength over England, a close match is expected, so the possibility of a penalty shootout cannot be ruled out.
Neither team has had much success in World Cup penalty shootouts historically.
France's all-time World Cup penalty shootout record is 2 wins and 2 losses. Their most recent shootout was at the 2006 Germany World Cup, which remains a nightmare for France. They lost 3-5 to Italy in the final shootout, surrendering the trophy.
England has participated in four World Cup penalty shootouts, with a record of 1 win and 3 losses. Their last shootout was also at the 2006 Germany World Cup, where they lost 1-3 to Portugal in the quarterfinals after three of their four kickers missed.
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