“A not so powerful France”, group D and the complicated defense of the title

Perhaps it is the group that we know the most, because all Peruvians saw themselves in it. Group D is almost a copy of what was experienced in Russia 2018, with France, Denmark, Australia and Tunisia, with the Frenchmen as favorites to advance and even to reach the final stages of Qatar 2022.

France is in the Middle East ready to defend its crown beyond the curses that weigh on the champions. In the last three appointments, the champion said goodbye in the group stage of the following appointment: Italy in South Africa 2010, Spain in Brazil 2014 and Germany in Russia 2018.

‘Le Bleus’ will have to recover from their own ills, since they arrive at the event with four important casualties: their champion midfielders four years ago Paul Pogba and N’golo Kanté will not be there due to injury, nor will the defender Kimpembé (PSG) and the attacker Nkunku (Leipzig), as well as the goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who plays for Milan.

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great candidates

Despite this, Didier Deschamps still has more weapons to fight for a double championship, something that has not happened since Brazil won the 1958 and 1962 editions (Italy was the other country to achieve it in 1934 and 1938). With the return of Karim Benzema to the national team, they have a fearsome lead, where Kylian Mbappé is the one called to shine in Qatar.

The fact of assembling ‘new’ equipment is the first concern for the technicians and that is what the journalist Julio de Feudis points out. “They have had little time to work due to the calendar change. Not many games have been seen because the players are arriving a week earlier for their national teams”, warns the journalist from the Tactic Talk program.

“Talking about Group D is thinking directly about the defending champion. The casualties of Kanté and Pogba detract from the hierarchy of the French midfielder; However, the presence of the “madridistas” Tchouaméni and Camavinga will try to give Deschamps the lungs that he loses due to the absence of N’Golo ”, first analyzes Rodrigo Morales, a journalist for DirecTV Sports.

Beyond the talent of the Real Madrid players, De Feudis points to the emotional part that can be felt in a World Cup. “They are talented players, but young. It is their first World Cup and we have to see how France reacts with these two youngsters on their front line”, he tells us.

Where France has no problems is in its attack “They will land in Qatar with perhaps the best striker in the tournament: Mbappé, Dembélé, Griezmann, Coman and, as if that were not enough, the 2022 Ballon d’Or, Karim Benzema”, sums up Morales. “He has a lot of power. With revulsives like Dembélé and Coman. In defense and attack he is very strong”, complements De Feudis.

Indeed, Deschamps has options for his variants. In the defensive zone he lost Kimpembé, but he can put together his line of three with Konaté, Koundé, Upamecano, Varane and Lucas Hernández as options, in addition to having Pavard, Saliba and Theo Hernández for his wings.

“In defense he has a lot to choose from. For the lanes, it was striking that they did not call Mendy (Real Madrid), but on the other side they have Pavard”, sums up Julio.

world replay

“He is the group’s favourite. I don’t see it as powerful as the last World Cup, but his group should pass it without problems, ”says De Feudis. “It’s unlikely that they won’t end up as group leaders,” says Morales. Thus, France must guarantee first place in Group D to ease their path and avoid Argentina, which would be the leader of Group C.

“It may be threatened by a Denmark, which reached the semifinals in the Euro and already defeated it in their last match in the Nations League,” warns Rodrigo Morales. The Danes had a good fight in 2021 -they rose emotionally after the Eriksen episode in the Euro-, but this year they have declined a bit. Despite this, they have level players. “You have Delaney up front, Dolberg. They have important players in the Premier like Eriksen. He is going to cost France that match”, says De Feudis.

Australia is the team we saw against Peru, very physical, direct play. “What coach Graham Arnold demonstrated is knowing how to set up matches from below and find flaws to nullify his opponents”; Rodrigo Morales stands out about the ‘socceroos’. It will be an awkward team for France and Denmark, no doubt.

Tunisia is the weakest rival in the group, but not for them uncomfortable. “Against Brazil a couple of months ago, he looked very fragile,” recalls De Feudis, but Rodrigo Morales points to another game. “In a friendly, they annulled Chile and defeated them 2-0 even without their main figure, Wahbi Khazri, who plays for Montpellier in France,” Morales recalls of the Africans.

This is Group D of reigning champions France. They go to Qatar to break curses and despite the casualties to be competitive. They are candidates again with Kylian Mbappé at the helm and with Karim Benzema winning the Ballon d’Or in style.

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