France v Australia – Kylian Mbappe First Goalscorer
France might have suffered a series of injuries that have depleted their squad for the 2022 World Cup, but they still boast an incredibly strong team with Kylian Mbappe their primary difference-maker in the attacking third. Mbappe has opened the scoring in his last three France appearances and is a good bet to extend that run against Australia on Tuesday.
Karim Benzema’s injury means Mbappe is likely to play alongside Olivier Giroud, giving the Paris Saint-Germain forward a partner to occupy the Australian defence with his physical presence. Mbappe netted five goals in just six World Cup qualifiers and has netted 19 times for PSG so far this season. The stage is set for him to make an impact in Qatar.
Injuries have also robbed France of Paul Pogba for this tournament, but it could be argued that Aurelien Tchouameni, who is likely to start in the place of the Juventus midfielder, will make Les Blues even more dangerous in quick transition with Mbappe the one playing on the shoulder of the last defender.
Mexico v Poland – Andres Guardado To Get A Card
Mexico enter the 2022 World Cup amid a cloud of pessimism. El Tri fans are unhappy with the inconsistent performances of their team under Tata Martino with the former Argentina and Barcelona manager even labelling himself “public enemy number one” following a recent wave of criticism.
Andres Guardado will likely be picked to play in an ageing midfield unit and the 36-year-old is known for his combative nature in the centre of the pitch. Martino likes his Mexico team to play with the ball, but they can be vulnerable to a high press and one of Guardado’s jobs will be to stop opposition attacks before they develop, even if that means fouling.
Poland will look to match up against Mexico in central midfield with Krystian Bielik, Sebastian Szymanski and Piotr Zielinski expected to start for Czesław Michniewicz’s team. That could mean this Group C fixture is decided by the individual battles that take place in this area.
Denmark v Tunisia – Both Teams To Score No
Denmark were mightily impressive through qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, winning nine of the 10 matches they played. Kasper Hjulmand has built a well-coached, nimble team that is capable of playing a number of different ways and they are heavy favourites to start their tournament with a win over Tunisia.
The match-up should be a kind one for Denmark who will find Tunisia’s high defensive line gives them plenty of space to play in quick transition. Not only are Denmark a dangerous attacking outfit through the likes of Joakim Maehle and Mikkel Damsgaard, they are a tight defensive unit too.
Hjulmand’s team conceded just three goals in 10 World Cup qualifiers, with two of those goals coming in the final fixture played after Denmark had already secured their place in Qatar, while Tunisia have drawn a blank in three of their last five competitive fixtures. Denmark are a good bet to shut them out.
GRAHAM’S TUESDAY TRIO
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