France vs Poland » Prediction, Watch Live + Odds & Stats 04.12.2022

On Sunday afternoon, world champions France will look to continue their title defence as Les Bleus face Poland in the last 16 of the World Cup.

Didier Deschamps's team finished at the top of Group D, despite suffering a surprise 1-0 defeat against Tunisia in the last group game. Les Bleus finished top due to a superior goal difference to second place Australia. It must be said that Deschamps heavily rotated his squad in their last group game, as the world champions had already sealed their progress into the knockout stages.

Rather worryingly for France, the result against Tunisia means that the world champions have won just three of their last nine international games. However, Les Bleus have also won eight of their last ten games at the World Cup, having triumphed in Russia in the previous edition of the competition.

A second-place finish in Group C of the competition saw Poland book their place in the knockout stages. However, they only qualified because of a superior goal difference of just one to third-place Mexico.

Czeslaw Michniewicz’s team have a recent mixed record in the international game. Although a 2-0 loss against Argentina ended a run of four games without defeat and also a run of four straight clean sheets, they have won just three of their last nine international games.

Poland's recent games have been low-scoring affairs, with under 2.5 goals scored in their last seven international matches.

France has no new reported injuries for this clash, with Theo Hernandez likely to start at full-back in his brother Lucas Hernandez’s absence through injury. Head coach Deschamps will revert to his first-choice starting line-up after making wholesale changes for the Tunisia game.

Poland has no new injury issues and may well line up with the same starting eleven that started against Mexico.

Poland had been relatively solid in defence before the defeat against Argentina, but they have struggled as an attacking force, often leaving star forward Robert Lewandowski isolated in attack. I am backing France to return to winning ways and progress to the quarter-finals.