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Reigning world champions France will begin their qualifying process for the 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup in the upcoming international window. First up for Les Bleus is a match against Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine.
France have been handed a relatively easy group for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with the current world champions drawn alongside Kazakhstan, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine. It is the latter who they will face in their opening match at Stade de France.
Didier Deschamps’ men will look to continue where they left off in the previous international break. Les Bleus made it through to the Finals of the UEFA Nations League during the last gap in the club calendar. They did so without losing a single match in the group which contained current UEFA Euro holders Portugal, 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, and Sweden.
Ukraine, on the other hand, found themselves on the other end, as they finished bottom of their Nations League group. Andriy Shevchenko’s men were drawn against former World Cup winners Spain and Germany, while they also had to take on Switzerland. Surprisingly, they finished level on points with the latter, three behind Germany, and even managed to beat Spain in a group game.
France lost just one match since the start of the 2020/21 cycle – a 2-0 shock reverse against Finland. Nonetheless, they won six and drew one of their other fixtures, beating the likes of Portugal, Sweden, and Croatia. They will look to use the current international break as preparation for the Euros, which are expected to be held in June following a year-long delay. They have been drawn in a difficult group for the competition and will have to face Portugal, Germany, and Hungary in the group stage.
The French head coach, Deschamps, has been experimenting lately with different line-ups, to freshen up the squad before yet another international competition. As such, predicting which shape the team lines up in is difficult. However, one can assume that the likes of Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, and Antoine Griezmann will be picked to lead the attack while Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante marshal the midfield.
France and Ukraine will face each other on March 24, with both sides looking to take an early advantage in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Key Players
Olivier Giroud: Giroud may not be as crucial to Chelsea as he is to France. The striker is currently on forty-four goals for his national team, just seven away from Thiery Henry’s record of fifty-one. He will play his one hundred and sixth game for France if selected and will likely be used as the lynchpin around whom Didier Deschamps builds his entire attack.
Kylian Mbappe: One of the best players on the planet, Ukraine are expected to face a difficult task in trying to contain Mbappe. The youngster will be the key threat for France as they try to break down Ukraine and gain an advantage in their opening World Cup 2022 qualifier. He recently netted his one-hundredth Ligue 1 goal, becoming the youngest player to do so.
Roman Yaremchuk: Ukraine head coach Andriy Shevchenko was one of the finest strikers of his generation. As such, the pressure will be on the incumbent, Yaremchuk, to try and live up to his coach’s reputation. He is expected to lead the line once again for his side and will look to threaten the likely centre-back partnership of Presnel Kimpembe and Raphael Varane.
Oleksandr Zinchenko: Perhaps the most high-profile player in the current Ukraine squad, Zinchenko could be the one his team looks up to, to try and break France down. While he usually plays as a left-back for his club side Manchester City, Zinchenko is expected to start in midfield and go head-to-head against the likes of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.
Prediction
France and Ukraine met recently in a friendly fixture, with the world champions running riot with a 7-1 victory. Les Bleus were unplayable that day, with the likes of Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, and Kylian Mbappe all chipping in with the goals. Ukraine will be wary of another thrashing at the hands of Deschamps’ men, however, it is difficult to imagine them springing a surprise in this one.
Deschamps has been more open recently, in terms of trying new formations and tactics. However, no matter which structure and shape he chooses, he will have a plethora of world-class talent to select from. That enough should give France the advantage over their opponents. Les Bleus have an incredible roster for their forthcoming international games, with Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Kingsley Coman, and Paul Pogba among those called up.
Andriy Shevchenko’s men do have a surprise in them, as evident by their shock win over Spain recently. However, this looks to be a mountain too high for them to climb, with several players still new to the national set-up. A win for France, then, should be the most likely outcome of this match.
