World Cup 2022: England v France - key battles that may decide quarter-final

England conscionable reigning champions France connected Saturday successful a tantalising World Cup quarter-final that volition diagnostic cardinal battles crossed the pitch.

But however precisely mightiness the crippled beryllium won? BBC Sport takes a look...

A pugnacious lucifer for right-sided defenders

When considering however to halt France, the focus, naturally, is connected Kylian Mbappe.

It's surely nary concealed that containing the Paris St-Germain forward, who has either scored oregon assisted France's past 7 World Cup goals, volition beryllium cardinal to England's hopes of reaching consecutive semi-finals, having besides made the past 4 of Russia 2018.

France are unbeaten successful Mbappe's 13 starts astatine large tournaments - winning each 9 astatine the World Cup - and helium has been straight progressive successful 12 goals successful those fixtures.

An irreplaceable influence, helium has been captious to France's onslaught and leads his squad successful a big of violative metrics including shots (20), unfastened play attacking series involvements (36) and absorption punishment country touches (46).

Kylian Mbappe is heavy progressive successful France's attacking play and has had much than doubly arsenic galore shots arsenic immoderate team-mate

There are similarities successful the mode England and France person created their opportunities, with some favouring attacks connected the left.

The 2 sides person made 41% of their attacks down that side, portion nary players person created much chances for their respective teams than left-backs Theo Hernandez (nine) and Luke Shaw (six).

More than fractional of France's opportunities person travel from the left, wherever 26 chances person provided a full of 5 assists.

That's compared with 3 assists from 11 left-sided chances for England, who could deploy Shaw - 2nd lone to Argentina talisman Lionel Messi for progressive passes - and either Phil Foden oregon Marcus Rashford against an out-of-position Jules Kounde astatine right-back.

Although it remains to beryllium seen whether Gareth Southgate volition take to enactment with a backmost 4 oregon displacement to a three, determination is nary uncertainty England's right-sided defenders - perchance some Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier - are successful for a engaged night.

But Walker successful peculiar volition consciousness confident. The Manchester City defender has travel up against Mbappe successful the Champions League connected 3 occasions, with the Frenchman restricted to an mean of 0.7 shots per 90 minutes - importantly down connected his 2022 World Cup mean of 6.4.

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The conflict for midfield supremacy

Jude Bellingham's superb show for England successful the 3-0 last-16 triumph implicit Senegal led team-mate Foden to foretell the 19-year-old will 1 time beryllium the champion midfielder successful the world.

Bellingham leads the tournament's midfielders for duels won (26) and tackles won (11), and that disruptive facet of his crippled volition beryllium important arsenic helium seeks to power a cardinal country featuring the motor of 22-year-old Aurelien Tchouameni and the creativity of Antoine Griezmann 31.

The nonstop Tchouameni has carried the shot 812.6 metres - importantly much than Bellingham (531.6 metres) - portion Griezmann has created the astir chances (15) and large chances (five) among some squads.

Griezmann has besides played the astir passes into the container (36) and registered the highest expected assists worth (2.67 xA) connected either team, truthful limiting his power successful build-up phases volition beryllium cardinal for England.

Antoine Griezmann's shot carries - defined arsenic moving the shot astatine slightest 5 metres guardant - person originated successful areas close crossed the pitch

That occupation is apt to autumn to Bellingham and Declan Rice, though Jordan Henderson whitethorn clasp his spot aft Rice missed grooming due to the fact that of unwellness earlier this week.

Bellingham has regained possession 23 times for his broadside successful 4 matches - a starring midfield tally among the 2 sides - and transitional recoveries successful peculiar volition beryllium important. While England (38) pb France (29) for precocious turnovers, 1 successful six of those for France ends successful a shot.

But England volition besides look to unleash 1 of their astir originative players whenever possible.

Only Shaw and Harry Kane and person offered greater creativity for England than Bellingham, who has truthful acold played 7 passes into the container and became the archetypal teen to assistance successful a World Cup knockout signifier crippled successful that standout Senegal showing.

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A communicative of 2 strikers

Not agelong aft Olivier Giroud became France's all-time starring men's goalscorer against Poland connected Sunday, England skipper Harry Kane opened his relationship successful Qatar.

Giroud, with 3 goals successful arsenic galore starts, and Kane some basal connected 52 planetary goals, with the Tottenham striker present conscionable 1 abbreviated of Wayne Rooney's all-time Three Lions record.

Kane has marginally overperformed his expected goals (xG) worth of 0.9 from his 4 chances to date, but it is successful the build-up wherever helium has been astir effectual for his team.

Leading the mode successful Qatar with 3 assists among 5 chances created, his relation successful Henderson's extremity (below) arsenic helium played the marauding Bellingham done against Senegal was emblematic of his wider influence.

Kane is acold much important to England's build-up than his France counterpart, signaling much than treble the fig of touches (123) arsenic Giroud (56) astatine this World Cup, and making the astir progressive passes (14) among strikers astatine the tournament.

But conscionable 6.5% of Kane's touches person been wrong the punishment area, compared with astir 1 successful each 5 for Giroud.

And it is successful the container wherever the Frenchman continues to deliver, with a changeable conversion complaint of 33.3% and 3 goals from an xG of 2.37.

Harry Kane has made 27 palmy passes into the last 3rd successful Qatar, with a passing accuracy of 66%

England's astir prolific shot-taker is successful information Rashford, whose 8 attempts successful 132 minutes of shot equates to 1 each 17 minutes, followed by Bukayo Saka, Foden and Kane (five).

It is Kane's quality to support the absorption defence occupied and bring others into play successful his fluid relation which could beryllium pivotal.

After all, portion 8 of France's 9 goals person been scored by either Mbappe oregon Giroud, England's 12 goals person been dispersed crossed 8 players.

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