Across the Channel: French views on England's quarter-final threat
The Three Lions go into the clash feeling confident after three wins out of the four games while defending champions France have looked immaculate at times.
Both sides are riding high on some stellar performances by their youngest stars, with England fans being blown away by the emergence of Jude Bellingham, and France spearheaded by superstar Kylian Mbappe.
Southgate and Deschamps will both fancy their chances, but will also have a smattering of caution lingering in the back of their minds with threats and weaknesses dotted amongst both teams.
We spoke to our colleague over at flashscore.fr, senior editor Pablo Gallego, to get some insight into how the French are feeling going into the match, whether there's any concern about playing England, how they feel Les Bleus are performing, and what their predictions are for the final score.
Do you see England as a serious threat? Who in particular stands out?
"England is a serious threat, perhaps the second favourite of the tournament behind Brazil. Based on this World Cup performance, I put them at the same level as France.
"They have the tournament's best attack and I'm impressed by their ability to turn things around when they're not in it, like against Senegal where they were troubled.
"They have some amazing offensive firepower, including on the bench, and that is magnified by Jude Bellingham who is, in my opinion, one of the best players in the tournament, and at only 19 years old."
France were hit hard by injuries prior to the World Cup and yet they're still playing well - do you feel the team has missed the likes of Benzema, Pogba and Kante?
"We're talking about world-class players who would be missed by any team, they have some strong qualities, and it is not the same to play with as it would be without them. But France managed to find some balance.
"Rabiot is having a great tournament, Griezmann is excelling in his new central midfield position, Giroud is perfectly attached to the squad again, and of course, Mbappé who's leading the charge offensively. He's the star of the team, and with that balance, we can make do without the injured players, but it will be a test against England's firepower."
Were there any concerns after the "second-string" loss to Tunisia?
"Teams led by Didier Deschamps historically do this in third-round group matches. He told his players to rest, not give everything, and preserve themselves for what's next. And most of the time, it ends in a draw or defeat.
"But it's not concerning, the job had been done before, we made it to the first spot, and also, a lot of the big teams lost or drew their third game."
What is the feeling amongst fans in France right now, do you feel confident about retaining the World Cup? Is there a lot of expectation or pressure?
"In France, fans are always confident and most think that the back-to-back is possible. We have the squad for it, but the road is tricky with England, possibly Portugal and then maybe Brazil in the final.
"French fans, ancient players, everybody is confident around the team, which is maybe not the most spectacular but highly efficient. There's not so much pressure, not like in 2018 when we were the last big team standing.
"There are expectations, but if we're not doing it, that's not the end of the world."
Would it be considered a failure if you don't win the competition?
"I don't think it will be a failure if we lose, making back-to-back is so hard. France is still seen as a favourite, but not as much as Brazil, because, for me, it's their year, their chance, the pressure is on them, not on France.
"Brazil is the big favourite, after that, France, England and Portugal are all at the same level, then Argentina, Netherlands, Croatia and Morocco."
Are there any criticisms being aimed at Deschamps or members of the squad going into the match with England?
"There are no real criticisms around the team or Didier Deschamps. Everybody trusts him, he proved before that he's a great coach and big leader, it's going to be a great game.
"There have been a few critics about mostly the defence, and a little about the midfield. But we knew before that that will be tricky, and the midfield is efficient still now despite Pogba and Kanté's absences.
"In defence, there were some questions about Varane's health and fitness, injuries, and problems around Pavard, but the players are really confident."
How do you expect England to line up, and the same for France - is Deschamps likely to change anything?
"I don't think France will change his game for such a match. It's not in Deschamps's nature. It should be 4-3-3 which turns to a 4-2-3-1 in offence, so Griezmann, Tchouaméni and Rabiot in midfield, Dembélé, Mbappé and Giroud up front.
"At the back, it should be Koundé, Varane, Upamecano and Théo Hernandez. That's the logic.
"On the English side, I don't expect many changes either. England should play to their strengths, in my opinion, they have been defending well despite the criticisms, especially the ones about the pair of centre-backs Maguire and Stones.
"It is not in Southgate's interest to change his game, because England scores a lot in this current formation."
Where are the weaknesses in this France team? And where do you see weaknesses in the England team?
"For France, it is the defensive aspect, because of Varane's fitness mostly. We've got some killers, who can score even if they're under the water for most of the game. As for England, I don't see a real weakness, the team is well structured, maybe the goalkeeper which I don't know really well.
"As I said, there have been critics around Maguire, but he seems to be a different player with the Three Lions jersey, and the same goes for Stones.
"And I repeat, Bellingham is a star, what he does is amazing, and the offence is lightning, so everything looks stable."
Are you at all concerned about an overreliance on Mbappé, given the injuries to other key players?
"It's kind of bizarre to talk about some reliance on Mbappé. Which team wouldn't dream to have him in the squad?
"I don't worry about that, considering his fitness, he's an incredible weapon, and even if his game is medium, with some assists or shots missed, he only needs one to make the difference. You know what kind of player he is right?"
So what's the score going to be?
"A draw, maybe 1-1, with England going through after penalties."
