England have landed their first blow against World Cup rivals France with a comprehensive victory in a supporters’ seven-a-side game in Qatar.
The Three Lions beat their French counterparts 7-4 in a match at a windswept Doha Sports Park ahead of the quarter-final crunch match on Saturday.
The game was feisty at times and offered a glimpse of the passion and desire expected when the real thing starts.
France took the lead three times in the 60-minute clash but were pegged back to 3-3 on the stroke of half-time and were overrun in the second half.
I think we can get a 2-1 tonight— England fan Mark Twigg
England supporters’ team boss Garford Beck said: “It’s a great way of bringing fans together and the game had a little bit of an edge to it.”
David Mundo, of the French team, said it was a “tough game” and predicted a France win later.
Mr Beck replied: “I wish you a safe journey to Paris on Monday.”
Mr Mundo said Kylian Mbappe is “most likely” to make the difference for France.
He told the PA news agency: “Most likely we’ll have to concede a goal or two from you as you’ve been scoring many goals and we’ve been conceding, so my concern is how many goals you’ll score.
“But I give you one if you want, you be happy, and then we come back and we win.”
Chef Mark Trigg, 48, from Derby, said he had the “typical match day nerves” but fancied England to win.
He told PA: “I think we can get a 2-1 tonight. It’ll be a bit tighter, we have scored a good few goals on the way through. I don’t see so many goals tonight.”
Mr Trigg added he will be wearing his lucky England suit which his mother helped make, explaining: “It’s a red hat, matching shirt, matching shorts, and it’s been getting noticed all over Qatar.”
Asked if he believes the winner of the tie will win the competition, Mr Trigg said: “Yeah, I’ve been saying that – I think there’s two good sides out there. Brazil are out which opens it a little more.”
It’s a tough one but I say 3-1 France— France supporter Babacar Sall
France fan Babacar Sall, from Massy, in France, said he expects a “tough game as England are a really great team” but insisted France also have a “great, great team” despite injuries.
He said the key to the game might be the midfield, adding: “In the end there is Mbappe, (Antoine) Griezmann, who can do the job any time, and there’s (Olivier) Giroud.”
On his prediction, he said: “It’s a tough one but I say 3-1 France.
“The winner of tonight might be the favourite to win the World Cup even if Argentina are on the other side against Croatia.”
