France are aiming to build on their winning start in Group I at the FIFA World Cup when they battle Iraq at Philadelphia Stadium.
Les Bleus have the superior quality here and should be too strong for the Iraqis, who look out of sorts at the moment
Key Stats
- France have won six of their last seven matches in all competitions.
- Iraq have lost their last two matches in all competitions.
- Iraq lost by three goals in their opening fixture.
No Previous Meetings
This will be the first ever clash between France and Iraq at this level.
Smooth Sailing for France
France began their Group I campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal. They had to weather a few nervy moments at the back but looked sharp in attack, with Kylian Mbappe netting a brace while Bradley Barcola was also on target.
The French are considered one of the favourites to win the World Cup, and manager Didier Deschamps will be pleased with the start they have made. That result maintains a solid run that stretches to before the tournament, having won six of their last seven matches.
As seen in their opening fixture, France boast plenty of attacking quality to outclass any team and have claimed a number of comfortable wins lately.
Among the recent results for Les Bleus is a 4-0 victory over Ukraine during the qualifiers, while they also beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in their final warm-up fixture.
Iraq Out of Their Depth
Iraq come into the clash off the back of a 4-1 defeat to Norway in their opening Group I fixture. They were no match for the Norwegians, with Aymen Hussein’s first-half effort ultimately proving to be a mere consolation.
Among the issues for Iraq is their poor defence, which was evident against Norway. Graham Arnold's team were constantly carved open at the back and could have lost by more.
The Iraqis are considered the weakest team in the group and already looked out of their depth in the opening fixture. They have now lost their last two matches in all competitions, having fallen 2-0 to Venezuela in their final pre-tournament friendly.
Team News and Predicted Line-ups
France (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan, Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue; Kylian Mbappe.
France came away from their opening fixture with no injuries or suspensions and are unlikely to make changes to the team. Mbappe is set to lead the line once again, while Upamecano and Saliba should continue their partnership at centre-back.
Iraq (4-4-2): Jalal Hassan; Hussein Ali, Zaid Tasheen, Akam Hashem, Merchas Doski; Ibrahim Bayesh, Zaid Ismaeel, Amir Al Ammari, Ali Jasim; Ali Al-Hamadi, Aymen Hussein.
Iraq are likely to stick with much of the team from the opening fixture, with Hussein featuring in attack once again after finding the net against Norway. Tasheen and Hashem are also expected to maintain their position at the back.