France will aim at nothing but a secured spot in the next round when they take on Denmark at Stadium 974 on Saturday.
Denmark is considered a good luck charm for France, who faced them at the group stage in 1998 and 2018 - the last two victorious World Cup campaigns for Les Bleus.
Where: Stadium 974
When: Saturday, November 26, 7 pm (16:00 GMT)
Head to head: France (8), Denmark (6), and two draws
On the other hand, Denmark slumped to a disappointing scoreless draw against Tunisia where they looked toothless for big stretches of the match and failed to capitalize on late change to win. This game will decide the group winner and a defeat for Denmark could leave them in a potentially vulnerable position with qualification still very much up in the air.
Christensen, though, has no reason to be afraid, even if he understands two France attackers – Barcelona club-mate Dembele and former Chelsea team-mate Giroud – incredibly well.
“I don’t know if afraid would be the right word. I think we can use it,” he told reporters.
“We know the other players. We already did know quite a lot. But I think the typical French, always believe in their abilities and with reason.
“I think they are amazing players and I think everyone at [Barca] was really happy when Ousmane signed his new contract. He means a lot to the team and means a lot to the creativity that we have in the team.
“And the same for Ollie, you can just see how many goals he scores and again means a lot for the team. I know they’re both really big characters. So yeah, they are great players and it’s going to be good to see them again.”
France's national team was also without Kingsley Coman in Friday's training session because of a hip issue, but Raphael Varane was passed fit for a place on the bench against the Socceroos as Dayot Upamacano and Ibrahima Konate paired up at the back.
The case of Upamecano or Konate may cause some notices when they likely deserve to lose their spots, a fully-fit Varane will certainly be considered for a place, and the Liverpool man may be the unfortunate one to miss out.
Denmark
Hjulmand also has no new concerns for Saturday's match and should think about dropping Eriksen into a deeper role along with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg following Delaney's injury, letting either Mikkel Damsgaard or Jesper Lindstrom join the attack.
Andreas Cornelius somehow hit the post from a yard out against Tunisia, and the 29-year-old should only be considered for a substitute role here alongside the injury-plagued Yussuf Poulsen.
Denmark is considered a good luck charm for France, who faced them at the group stage in 1998 and 2018 - the last two victorious World Cup campaigns for Les Bleus.
Where: Stadium 974
When: Saturday, November 26, 7 pm (16:00 GMT)
Head to head: France (8), Denmark (6), and two draws
Match Preview
Denmark has been labeled "dark horses" by a lot of pundits for the tournament, having been on the recent fine run of form that included beating France twice in the Nations League. However, the defending World Cup champions looked the better side in their opening match, walloping Australia 4-1 in a dominant game despite their significant injury list.On the other hand, Denmark slumped to a disappointing scoreless draw against Tunisia where they looked toothless for big stretches of the match and failed to capitalize on late change to win. This game will decide the group winner and a defeat for Denmark could leave them in a potentially vulnerable position with qualification still very much up in the air.
Christensen, though, has no reason to be afraid, even if he understands two France attackers – Barcelona club-mate Dembele and former Chelsea team-mate Giroud – incredibly well.
“I don’t know if afraid would be the right word. I think we can use it,” he told reporters.
“We know the other players. We already did know quite a lot. But I think the typical French, always believe in their abilities and with reason.
“I think they are amazing players and I think everyone at [Barca] was really happy when Ousmane signed his new contract. He means a lot to the team and means a lot to the creativity that we have in the team.
“And the same for Ollie, you can just see how many goals he scores and again means a lot for the team. I know they’re both really big characters. So yeah, they are great players and it’s going to be good to see them again.”
Team News
France
Source: Khelnow
France's national team was also without Kingsley Coman in Friday's training session because of a hip issue, but Raphael Varane was passed fit for a place on the bench against the Socceroos as Dayot Upamacano and Ibrahima Konate paired up at the back.
The case of Upamecano or Konate may cause some notices when they likely deserve to lose their spots, a fully-fit Varane will certainly be considered for a place, and the Liverpool man may be the unfortunate one to miss out.
Denmark
Source: khelnow
Hjulmand also has no new concerns for Saturday's match and should think about dropping Eriksen into a deeper role along with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg following Delaney's injury, letting either Mikkel Damsgaard or Jesper Lindstrom join the attack.
Andreas Cornelius somehow hit the post from a yard out against Tunisia, and the 29-year-old should only be considered for a substitute role here alongside the injury-plagued Yussuf Poulsen.
Source: theanalyst
France's possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud
Denmark's possible starting lineup:
Schmeichel; Andersen, Christensen, Kjaer; Kristensen, Hojbjerg, Eriksen, Maehle; Skov Olsen, Dolberg, Damsgaard