World Cup 2018: The ideal Playing XI for France in Russia

Bengaluru, March 27: With the World Cup three months away, all managers are hoping to find the best team balance for the big event in Russia. The French International side is one of the most balanced teams in World football right now. Their defeat against Colombia in a recent friendly match came as a real shock to the football world. They will try to come back in the next friendly match against Russia to prove that they are one of the strongest contenders to win the World Cup this year.

Although France already have one of the most balance squads in the world, there's a lot of competition for a spot in the Playing XI among the stars.

Let's see who fits in where:

Goalkeeping:

Tottenham Hotspur's star Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will mostly be handed the gloves for France in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Hugo Lloris is in great form for Tottenham and is a consistent performer for the side. Paris Saint Germain's Goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and Marseille’s Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda will serve as the backup options for the French national football team.

Defence:

The experience of Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti in the central defence will surely give the whole side tremendous confidence. Laurent Koscielny, Benjamin Pavard and Presnel Kimpembe are also waiting in line to step in when called. Djibril Sidibe will fit into the right-back position of the French national team. On his opposite flank, Lucas Digne fits in perfectly into the left-back position in the French side. Lucas Hernandez will be another option for France in the left back position. This back-four of France looks quite solid and carries with it the mixture of youth and experience that will be vital for the team at the World Cup.

Midfield:

N’Golo Kante, Blaise Matuidi and Thomas Lemar will feature in the three-man midfield for the French side. Players of great calibre like Paul Pogba, Corentin Tolisso and Adrien Rabiot will unfortunately be the bench options. France is known for playing well-organized passing football. There is a proper balance between attack and defense in the midfield for France. So, they will surely be able to maintain the formation throughout the course of the match.

Forward:

The selection of the front three will give French manager Didier Deschamps some headache. For now, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe will mostly be favoured despite the great goal scoring form of the Sevilla striker Wissam Ben Yedder. The pace and dribbling of Anthony Martial will also be useful for the French side, but he will mostly come off the bench for Lopetegui. Ousmane Dembele, Alexandre Lacazette, Florian Thauvin could be useful at times for them.

Didier Deschamps prefers to play with a more attacking 4-3-3 formation; but against the stronger sides he might shift to a 4-2-3-1 formation to maintain the shape of the side. They will have a lot of options available under their belts in the World Cup. With such a talented squad, there is a real chance for France to lift the World Cup this year.