World Champions France are all set to take on Poland seeking to book a place in the quarterfinals of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Didier Deschamps’ side come into the game after finishing first in Group D with victories against Denmark and Australia before a shock defeat to Tunisia.
Meanwhile, Poland finished second in Group C after winning just one of their group games, a 2-0 victory against Saudi Arabia.
They lost 2-0 to Argentina to add onto a barren draw against Mexico, setting up this mouthwatering encounter.
The 1998 and 2018 champions have now achieved a surprising first at the World Cup, as they have qualified for 3 successive knockout stages for the first time ever.
It has been 40 years since France last suffered defeat against Poland, who knocked them out of the World Cup in 1982 before a 4-0 friendly win later that year.
There have been under 2.5 goals scored per game in Poland’s last four games in the World Cup and this could potentially be a low scoring game as well.
The two teams have met just once in the World Cup, with that meeting coming in the third-place decider in 1982. Poland came out on top with a 3-2 triumph in that encounter.
Can Poland cause an upset and knock out the defending champions?
Click here to make your predictions for this clash.
What time does France vs Poland start?
The game kicks off at 6pm Kenyan time at the Al Thumama Stadium.
France vs Poland team news
Alphonse Areola and Theo Hernandez are both expected to be fit enough to start as Deschamps has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot are set to return to the midfield to start this game.
Up front, Olivier Giroud only needs one goal to surpass the all-time scoring record for France that he shares with Thierry Henry and will lead the attacking line.
Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann will support the AC Milan forward.
Arkadiusz Milik and Krzysztof Piatek are both waiting in the wings to take the place of Swiderski alongside Robert Lewandowski in the final third.
The rest of the Polish team is set to remain unchanged.
France vs Poland head to head
The two teams have squared off 16 times across all competitions. France have a better record in these games with eight wins to their name.
Poland have three wins to their name while five games have ended in draws.
France vs Poland current form
Both sides have won three times in their recent run of five matches but France have also lost twice in that run, compared to Poland who have only been beaten twice.
France vs Poland prediction
This will be a very tightly contested affair and both teams are expected to get a goal in the game. Though, France are expected to tip their opponents and book a place in the quarters.