France vs. Peru
- When: Thursday 21 June
- Kick-off time: 4pm
- Where: Ekaterinburg Arena, Ekaterinburg
- TV channel: live on ITV
According to ESPN France head coach Didier Deschamps used Giroud and Matuidi in a behind-closed-doors training session. The duo came on as substitutes in the 2-1 victory against Australia on Saturday and will replace Ousmane Dembele and Corentin Tolisso, who will drop to the bench.
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Deschamps may also choose a different formation, 4-4-2, with Kylian Mbappe starting in midfield and Giroud up front with Antoine Griezmann.
Peru captain Paolo Guerrero could also earn a recall, says the BBC, after starting on the bench for the 2-1 loss against Denmark. Guerrero, Peru’s all-time leading scorer, recently returned to football after a 14-month drug ban was overturned.
France vs. Peru predicted starting XIs
How the teams could line up at the Ekaterinburg Arena, according to Fifa.com:
- France (4-4-2): Hugo Lloris; Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Hernandez; Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Blaise Matuidi, Kylian Mbappe; Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud
- Peru (4-3-3): Pedro Gallese; Luis Advincula, Christian Ramos, Alberto Rodriguez, Miguel Trauco; Andre Carrillo, Pedro Aquino, Yoshimar Yotun; Edison Flores, Jefferson Farfan, Paolo Guerrero
Group C results, fixtures and TV channels
- France 2 Australia 1
- Peru 0 Denmark 1
- 21 June: Denmark vs. Australia (1pm, ITV); France vs. Peru (4pm, ITV)
- 26 June: Denmark vs. France (3pm, ITV); Australia vs. Peru (3pm, ITV4)