France vs Spain Preview & Tips - France to eliminate Spain in World Cup semi-final clash

Spain needed a late winner from Mikel Merino as they edged past Belgium in a tight 2-1 triumph to set up their blockbuster clash with France. 

Their clash with Morocco saw their opponents fail to ever truly test France's backline, while the attacking unit of the latter eventually broke down a resolute defence in a 2-0 win. In truth, Morocco offered little going forward, meaning this match became more of a defence vs attack situation, with the latter eventually triumphing. 

Across their six World Cup matches, France have scored 16 goals while they have kept four clean sheets. The quality of the French attack has been the hallmark of their campaign, but the sturdiness of their defence should not be underestimated. Against Spain, defending well will be just as important as attacking. 

In this one, France will not likely see as much of the ball as they have become used to with Spain's style of play seeing them keep large amounts of possession. While this brings its own pressure, it will give France the opportunity to hit their opponents on the break. Kylian Mbappe has continually shown his ability to beat the offside trap and burst in behind a defence, and I back him to showcase his goal-scoring exploits once again. 

A run of five consecutive clean sheets was brought to an end by Belgium in their quarter-final as the Spanish defence was finally breached in a 2-1 win. Had it not been for some poor goalkeeping late on, Spain would have been taken into extra-time. 

While they are deserving of their place in the semi-finals, Spain are yet to face a quality team playing at the top of their game. Indeed, wins over Uruguay and Austria saw both fail to ever really get going, while Portugal and Belgium have both struggled for consistency. 

Against France, Spain will be tested across the pitch. France boast arguably the best front-line in world football, and I predict that this will tell as the Spanish defence is stretched to breaking point.