How the Three Lions can exploit the French 👇 #ENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 #FRA 🇫🇷

EXPOSED 

France weaknesses revealed: Ex-Chelsea target Jules Kounde plays out of position due to Ousmane Dembele request and England can exploit ‘vulnerability’ at set-pieces in World Cup showdown

French football expert Julien Laurens has pinpointed areas of weakness in France’s line-up that England can exploit.

England and France face off in Doha on tonight with a place in the World Cup semi-final at stake.

Didier Deschamps’ France are looking to retain the trophy they won in 2018 but know that England are likely to provide the biggest threat so far to their chances of a repeat success.

Meanwhile, Gareth Southgate’s side are aiming for their third-consecutive tournament semi-final and limiting Kylian Mbappe’s involvement will be key to toppling the holders.

Laurens has pinpointed two other ways England can upset France with stand-in right-back and former Chelsea target Jules Kounde viewed as a weak point in Les Bleus’ backline.

“Kounde is not a right back, he’s a centre-back by trade but also hasn’t been playing great,” Lauren told talkSPORT.

“He’s there because [Ousmane] Dembele told Deschamps, ‘I’d rather play with Kounde behind me than Pavard’. They play together at Barcelona and Deschamps was not happy with Pavard and said ‘OK, no problem let’s make the change’. I don’t feel too confident with that [Kounde].”

Laurens says England’s strongest weapon is their threat from set-pieces and with France’s ongoing struggles in this area, he feels that England could get the better of the world champions if they can be efficient.

French outlet L’Equipe has also highlighted the threat of Harry Maguire in the air as a cause for concern in France.

“On set-pieces, I think England are outstanding, maybe the best team in this tournament. They don’t always score but they’re always a threat and the French are very vulnerable on set-pieces,” he added.

Much of the build up to Saturday night’s showdown has included the possible duel between Kyle Walker and Kylian Mbappe.

The duo have gone head to head on occasion at club level with comparisons drawn between their speed.

Sections of the English media believe Walker is the man to keep pace with the rapid Paris Saint-Germain star but Laurens points to the fact that none of Mbappe’s goals so far in the World Cup have been the product of his speed.

He added: “The thing on Kylian that’s funny because we talk about his speed and the speed of Walker, is that the five goals Kylian has scored in this World Cup, none of them is through pace.

“There’s not one where he outruns everyone. There’s the two strikes against Poland, the header against Australia and there’s the one-two with Theo Hernandez against Denmark for example.

“Yes he’s super quick but he hasn’t really needed that to score goals in this tournament so far.”