Philadelphia, June 22:
France will look to secure a place in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup with a game to spare when they face Iraq in a Group I encounter on Monday.
Les Bleus opened their campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal and are just one win away from booking a spot in the round of 32. Iraq, meanwhile, enter the contest under pressure after suffering a 4-1 defeat to Norway in their tournament opener.
France’s victory over Senegal was highlighted by another landmark performance from captain Kylian Mbappe. The forward scored twice and broke two significant records, becoming the highest-scoring male player in French football history and surpassing Just Fontaine’s tally for the most World Cup goals by a French men’s player.
Bradley Barcola also found the net against Senegal as Didier Deschamps’ side extended their impressive attacking run.
France have now scored in 14 consecutive matches and netted at least twice in 13 of those games, underlining their status as one of the tournament favourites.
Despite their attacking prowess, defensive concerns remain for the 2018 world champions.
They have failed to keep a clean sheet in six successive matches after conceding a late goal against Senegal.
France currently sit second in Group I behind Norway on goal difference and will be eager to claim a convincing victory to strengthen their position at the top of the standings.
Iraq, on the other hand, face an uphill task after their heavy loss to Norway. The Lions of Mesopotamia briefly threatened an upset when Aymen Hussein equalised, but a series of defensive errors allowed the Norwegians to pull away in the latter stages.
Head coach Graham Arnold nevertheless took positives from his side’s display, praising their competitiveness for much of the match despite the final scoreline.