Sénégal - France : 3 raisons de croire à une victoire des Lions
Twenty-four years after Senegal's historic victory over France in the opening match of the World Cup in Korea and Japan (1-0), the two countries meet again at the World Cup. This Tuesday, the Lions of Teranga and Les Bleus kick off Group I with a clash less lopsided than in 2002, but still unpredictable. While France is currently considered the overwhelming favorite, especially by bookmakers, there are several reasons to believe in a Senegalese victory. Seneweb lists three.
1. France's unbalanced system
If France is currently one of the favorites to win the tournament, it's largely thanks to its exceptional attacking line. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), and Désiré Doué (PSG), all expected to start, are among the very best in the world in their respective positions. But this strength is also their weakness. Indeed, the downside of this "galactic" attack is that it unbalances France, in a game where balance is key to success.
Against both Ivory Coast and Northern Ireland, Les Bleus unusually conceded several chances. Their potent attack exposed a defense weakened by a lack of tracking back. In their recent matches, France has often been split in two, particularly after losing possession.
With attacking firepower and a well-organized midfield, Senegal could have a chance to exploit the defensive weaknesses in France's risky system.
2. The maturity of Senegal
A minnow in 2002, Senegal is, 24 years later, one of the major teams in world football. The squad is composed of players who play in the best leagues in the world, accustomed to competing in major tournaments. The results speak for themselves: two-time African champions in the last three editions, their best-ever FIFA ranking, and a victory against England in Nottingham (3-1) in a friendly, as well as against Morocco, in front of their home crowd of over 70,000 fans, in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Senegalese will want to confirm this evolution and maturity in the biggest competition in the world, against one of the best teams.
3. France vs Ivory Coast (1-2) in preparation
Despite boasting one of the best squads in the tournament, France is not yet the formidable opponent it is expected to be on paper. In their first warm-up match, Ivory Coast reminded everyone of this with a 2-1 victory at the Stade de France. The match exposed the defensive weaknesses and limitations of the attacking quartet, as demonstrated by the Ivorians' solid defense and rapid counter-attacks.
Against Senegal, this French team will be searching for its bearings, both defensively, given the current imbalance, and offensively, with the still-developing partnership between Mbappé and Dembélé. Ivory Coast, whose game is based on rapid transitions just like Senegal's, has seized its opportunity to trouble France. It's up to the Lions of Teranga to follow the same example.
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