France, one of the real favourites for the tournament, begin their campaign on Saturday at 14:00 (UAE time) in Kazan against a team not expected to go far in this World Cup, Australia.
But will the superstars from Les Bleus trip up against the minnows from down south?
Australia have come in to some promising form in their last two matches with a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic and a 2-1 success over Hungary but with new coach Bert van Marwijk only appointed in January the Socceroos have had precious little time to prepare for a star studded Les Bleus side with a market value of around $1.3 billion.
Here’s a few talking points building up to kick off.
FRANCE AVOIDING THE HORROR SHOW… FOR NOW
France are famous for their unpredictable mood swings and the most defining factor of how France fare in the tournament can have more to do with joie de vivre than beau football.
Well, the good news if you are a fan of Les Bleus is that the mood in the camp seems decidedly upbeat.
The team have made the offbeat decision to base themselves in humble Glebovets, described as a “small town in the middle of nowhere, an hour drive from Moscow”.
The tiny stadium the France team, worth over Euro 1bn, are training at is ringed by grim Soviet Union era blocks of flats. The inhabitants have no idea who is training on the local football oval, nor do they care.
Perfect for the low key build up France require. If they are to go deep in the tournament there will be plenty of time for headlines down the track.
But despite the surroundings the mood in the camp is upbeat. Training sessions have been behind closed doors but even from across the road, media can hear laughter and plenty of bon vivant.
The team are staying in a four-star hotel nearby, light years away from the five star splendour they are used to. But according to reports the players are happy and plenty of homely touches have been added. Some of the players have even enjoyed a horror movie in the hotel’s cinema.
Anything to not think about football too much at this stage.
Keep the joie de vivre going a little longer before the hard work begins.
Tim Cahill is learning some new tricks
OLD DOG – NEW TRICKS
It seems you can teach an old dog new tricks. Well at least that’s according to Socceroos legend Tim Cahill who he says is learning a lot from new coach Bert van Marwijk.
“Bert, when he walks into the room, he has a presence, but he also has a softness about him that the players can relate to,” said Cahill.
“But his coaching style is relatable to football today, and also in simplifying, understanding the group.
“I’ve enjoyed the training because you’d think at 38 years old you can’t learn. Well, the staff that he puts around him, I’m thankful that at 38 I’m learning something and I’m becoming a better player.”
Along with defender Mark Milligan, Cahill is the other Socceroo set for his fourth World Cup and although Milligan says Van Marwijk’s training routine has been “borderline torture” Cahill still rates Guus Hiddink’s training camp for the 2006 World Cup as the hardest he’s been through.
Cahill, who has recently been released my Millwall, is unlikely to start in his fourth dance on the world stage with Van Marwijk’s preferred lone striking position up front instead taken by Andrew Nabbout, 13-years Cahill’s junior.
“Timmy” may still have an impact off the bench and with his phenomenal goal-scoring record you wouldn’t back against him nabbing one late but will that be enough for Australia?
Probable France team to play Australia. Giroud, Matuidi to miss out as Deschamps goes with youth pic.twitter.com/n9Gw45yEJE
— Matt Spiro (@mattspiro) June 14, 2018
UMMM… DIDIER, WHO’S PLAYING?
The biggest question surrounding France is who is actually going to take the field when they line up against the Socceroos on Saturday.
There are two schools of thought around this. The first is that manager Didier Deschamps wants to keep his opponents guessing, not giving any clues about France’s playing style away until the last possible moment.
The second, more widely held, is that he has no idea of his best combination – which is very easy to understand when you have so many rare talents at your disposal. Any side that could leave Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette and Manchester United’s Anthony Martial at home must have a bit to spare.
“The coach has judged that this formation would bring more to the team,” Kylian Mbappe said on Wednesday. “The squad and I have full faith in him.”
“We are putting together a new formation,” Griezmann told the media last weekend. “We are trying to work on it, to make it our own. We still have a week to improve it.”
From those around this camp a few things do seem clear: Corentin Tolisso will be preferred over Blaise Matuidi alongside Pogba and N’Golo Kante in midfield while in attack Olivier Giroud, who had been expected to start against Australia is still not 100 percent after a clash of heads with Matt Miazga in the friendly against the USA last weekend, which means Griezmann, Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele should make up the front three.
