Currently Spain looks solid and are expected to bring their aggressive brand of football into the Quarter-finals against France whose 23 unbeaten matches in a row, only to be ended by Sweden, goes to show that the French should not be taken lightly.
But the Spaniards are yet to be tested and the nonappearance of main striker David Villa and defender Carlos Puyol can put the team in a compromising situation. A waning defense was already apparent during the game against the Croatians.
France Preview. Group D Runners-up, France, would have conceived a better score than their final 4 had not the Swedes ended their match in a shocker with France losing 2-0. It was Sweden's first victory against France since 1969.
France's misery was doubled as Sebastian Larsson smashed home Sweden's second goal in injury time.
It would be really a miracle if France succeeds to beat the defending Euro and World Champions Spain in their meeting at quarter final on Sunday in Donetsk.
Both Sweden and France played slow paced football but the French were rather lethargic.
France tried to dominate the second half but Karim Benzema missed a chance to score as his shot went wide of the post.
Samir Nasri produced a chance for France in the 64th but he too was just wide of the left post.
On the contrary Sweden got the success as Ibrahimovic got the cross from winger Sebastian Larsson and without wasting a second he converted that pass in a straight goal. They have also been playing stifling defense, holding their past two opponents scoreless and allowing only one goal against in all of group play.
If France wants to have any chance of pulling off this David versus Goliath story, they better shake off whatever held them back in their embarrassing loss to Sweden.
Spain's Keys to Victory. Spain needs to play their regular game when they take on France in the quarterfinal. If France can improve upon the weaknesses that Sweden exposed, Spain may have a tougher time moving on to the semifinals than expected.
While Spain is clearly the dominant team at this point in time, France can still win this game if they set the tone early in the match. Spain will do everything in their power to repeat as Euro cup champions in 2012, which is bad news for France and any other team Spain may face on the road to the finals.
The Match's Top Scorers. Spain's Cesc Fabregas is a dangerous scoring threat from the midfield position. However, midfielder Franck Ribery, who had an assist in France's 1-1 draw with England, is an experienced member of the French national team and could emerge as a scoring threat in their match versus Spain.
Spain vs France Preview, Prediction. While this quarterfinal matchup has the potential to be an interesting game, in the end, Spain should be able to advance. From a fan's perspective, hopefully France can play up to Spain's level, and, at the very least, make this game a competitive matchup.
While Spain may have the defensive prowess and offensive firepower to blow France away, do not expect another 4-0 romping like they had over Ireland.
Spain vs. France head to head :
2010-03-03 15:00 France 0-2 Spain Friendlies
2008-02-06 15:00 Spain 1-0 France Friendlies
2006-06-27 15:00 Spain 1-3 France World Cup 1/8 finals
2001-03-28 15:30 Spain 2-1 France Friendlies
2000-06-25 14:45 France 2-1 Spain EURO Quarter finals
Spain vs. France lineups.
Spain Euro 2012 lineups :
Spain Euro 2012 Goalkeepers : Cédric Carrasso (Bordeaux), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Spain Euro 2012 Defenders : Gaël Clichy (Manchester City/ENG), Mathieu Debuchy (Lille), Patrice Evra (Manchester United/ENG), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal/ENG), Philippe Mexès (AC Milan/ITA), Adil Rami (Valencia/ESP), Anthony Réveillère (Lyon)
Spain Euro 2012 Midfielders : Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle/ENG), Alou Diarra (Marseille), Florent Malouda (Chelsea/ENG), Marvin Martin (Sochaux), Blaise Matuidi (Paris-SG), Yann Mvila (Rennes), Samir Nasri (Manchester City/ENG)
Spain Euro 2012 Strikers : Hatem Ben Arfa (Newcastle/ENG), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/ESP), Olivier Giroud (Montpellier), Jérémy Ménez (Paris-SG), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich/GER), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)
France Euro 2012 lineups :
France Euro 2012 Goalkeepers : Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Victor Valdes (FC Barcelona), Pepe Reina (Liverpool/ENG)
France Euro 2012 Defenders : Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona), Jordi Alba (Valencia), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), Juanfran (Atletico Madrid)
France Euro 2012 Midfielders : Xavi (FC Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (FC Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (FC Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (FC Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Malaga)
France Euro 2012 Strikers : Fernando Torres (Chelsea/ENG), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Alvaro Negredo (FC Sevilla), Jesus Navas (FC Sevilla), Pedro (FC Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City/ENG), Juan Mata (Chelsea/ENG)
Spain vs France Euro 2012 Quarter Final Score Prediction: 1-0 for Spain win.
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