France vs England FIFA World Cup quarterfinal: Attacking, possession stats and numbers ahead of ENG vs FRA

Both sides have been fluid in the attacking third, with England leading the goal-scoring chart, alongside Portugal, with 12 goals, while France is third with nine goals.

Published : Dec 10, 2022 10:43 IST

France’s forward Antoine Griezmann (L) and Kylian Mbappe (R) take part in a training session ahead of the quarterfinal.
France’s forward Antoine Griezmann (L) and Kylian Mbappe (R) take part in a training session ahead of the quarterfinal. | Photo Credit: FRANCK FIFE
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France’s forward Antoine Griezmann (L) and Kylian Mbappe (R) take part in a training session ahead of the quarterfinal. | Photo Credit: FRANCK FIFE

England and France will face each other in the quarterfinal of the Qatar World Cup on Saturday night.

Both sides have been fluid in the attacking third, with England leading the goal-scoring chart, alongside Portugal, with 12 goals, while France is third with nine goals.

Kylian Mbappe has been the star for France, with his five goals helping him to the top of the golden boot list.

Though England has an upper hand in the overall head-to-head record (17 wins in 31 games), France has been the dominant force since the turn of the millennium, with four wins against one for the English.

Here we take a deeper look at England and France and their performance so far in the tournament, ahead of their quarterfinal clash:

ATTACKING STATS

As evident from the above stats, even though England has more goals, France has been the more defining attacking force.

The French dominate the number of shots per game. But the deviation is narrow when it comes shots on target per game, with the teams separated only by 0.5 shots/90.

This can be down to the average distance from which each team launches its shots. France makes its attempts from almost a meter farther than England.

As per  Opta’s expected goal (xG) stats, France should have scored eight goals, while England’s numbers should have been 6.3. The Three Lions have outperformed their xG by a huge margin (5.7), while France’s deviance has been minimal. This is an indication of the better than usual finishing of English forwards.

Possession and Pressing Stats

England has been more assertive in possession, enjoying control over the ball 64.3 per cent of its game time so far, which is the third best in the tournament.

France, despite only having an average possession of 57.8 per cent, has more touches in the attacking third, 783 (third best) and more touches inside the penalty box, 118 (again third best).

England’s dominance in possession has been aided by its aggressive pressing strategy, which has resulted in 67 pressed sequences, the third-best in the tournament. Its teenage midfield enforcer, Jude Bellingham, has won possession through tackles, a tournament-high, 11 times.

Meanwhile, France has been less aggressive with pressing, with just 45 pressed sequences, only the 14th best of the lot.

What France lacks in pressing, it makes it up with tackles, where it ranks second in the competition with 88, with half of them in its defensive third.

Incisive Passing

France has a clear advantage when it comes to crossing and through balls.

The Les Blues have sent more than three times the number of crosses into the penalty box during open play.

A key driver for the French, in this regard, is Antoine Griezmann, who has attempted 26 crosses so far, the third-highest for a player in the tournament.

ALL NUMBERS VALID BEFORE THE BRAZIL VS CROATIA QUARTERFINAL

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