DOHA: France coach Didier Deschamps is confident Kylian Mbappe can still make the difference in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final showdown with England even if the opposition put their focus on stopping the superstar forward.

Mbappe is the top scorer at the tournament with five goals in four games, including a brace in the 3-1 win over Poland in the last 16, and England will need to find a way of countering the Paris Saint-Germain striker.

But the holders have formidable quality around Mbappe, with Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann all impressing in Qatar too.

“I imagine England will take measures like our four previous opponents did but Kylian has the ability to make the difference,” Deschamps told reporters on Friday ahead of the clash at Al Bayt Stadium in the desert north of Doha.

“Even in the last game, when he wasn’t at his best like in the first two, he was still decisive, but if we can share around the danger that stops too many precautions being taken against Kylian.

“But Kylian will always be Kylian, with the ability to be decisive at any moment.”

The pressure is intensifying for both sides, but Deschamps has won the World Cup as a player and a coach and the 54-year-old encouraged France not to let the occasion get the better of them.

“As is the case for us and all teams who reach the knockouts, you don’t have a second chance,” he admitted.

“The further on you go the greater the quality, but the demands are higher too and so is the excitement.

“This is the next stage but there is no stress, no need to hold back. It is magnificent to play a World Cup quarter-final.”

While France are the defending champions, England appear to be growing as a team on the back of their run to the semi-finals in Russia four years ago and the final of Euro 2020.

France goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris — who has spent nearly a decade in the Premier League with Tottenham — was full of praise for Gareth Southgate’s England.

“If you look at the English squad they have more players here who were in Russia than France do,” said the 35-year-old, who is set to win his 143rd cap and overtake Lilian Thuram as his country’s all-time record appearance maker.

“They were semi-finalists at the World Cup, runners-up at the Euro. There is a real progression and I believe this team is getting more mature. They are here to win.”

Lloris will come up against an England side captained by his Tottenham team-mate Harry Kane, and there is the possibility the two could end up pitting their wits against each other in a penalty shoot-out.

“Harry has the ability to shoot anywhere. He is one of the best at this aspect of the game,” Lloris said.

“Harry and the England players will analyse penalties but then it is all about instinct, and before you get to the penalty shoot-out there is the time to make the difference on the pitch.”

Meanwhile, Southgate has urged the Three Lions to take the game to France in today’s blockbuster.

Southgate’s men are the joint top scorers in the tournament with 12 goals in their four games in Qatar so far but will come up against the firepower of Mbappe.

The threat of the Paris Saint-Germain forward has led to suggestions Southgate could change his formation with an extra defender added to deal with France’s front four of Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele.

But Southgate has hinted he intends to force France into worrying more about how to stop England’s array of attacking talent.

“There is no point going into a game like this and just covering up and sitting on the ropes. We believe we can cause problems with the ball and we intend to do that,” Southgate told ITV.

England reached the semi-finals four years ago as France went onto claim their second World Cup in Russia.

The Three Lions then got to a first major tournament final in 55 years at Euro 2020 before losing on penalties to Italy on home soil at Wembley.

But Southgate is hopeful that those experiences will help his side end the wait for a major trophy that stretches back to the 1966 World Cup.

“We’ve beaten some big teams. We know we have the experience of high pressure nights behind us and as a team we’ve been resilient through a lot of situations, but they all prepare you for nights like this,” added Southgate. “We got to the first final for 55 years. We’ve won a semi-final and been to a semi-final of the World Cup before.

“But, of course, it is a big game against a high quality opponent. Everything that has happened in the past is history, it all comes down to Saturday night.”

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2022