Hugo Lloris will tie a nationwide group file for Les Bleus 4 years after lifting the trophy as captain. Opposite quantity Wojciech Szczesny is a penalty-saving, wise-cracking No. 1 who appears to be having fun with the match greater than another participant.

Both get a stage to shine at Al Thumama Stadium making an attempt to disclaim two of essentially the most feared forwards in Qatar — Kylian Mbappé and two-time FIFA participant of the 12 months Robert Lewandowski.

“The key to stopping Mbappé? It’s me,” Szczesny quipped when Poland’s place within the knockout bracket was confirmed.

Lloris will face Lewandowski in a world sport for the primary time when he matches France’s file of 142 appearances held by Lilian Thuram, the best again within the 1998 world champion group.

“It’s quite something and I’m very honoured,” Lloris mentioned Saturday. He was in the identical France squad as Thuram as an uncapped 21-year-old in 2008 although was by no means performed with him.

France coach Didier Deschamps, who performed typically with Thuram and was captain within the 1998 ultimate in Paris, paid tribute to them.

“They have shown exemplary professionalism for the national team,” Deschamps mentioned Saturday.

Lloris is a naturally quiet and courteous chief of this gifted France group and he praised Szczesny, who he beforehand confronted at reverse ends of the north London rivalry between Tottenham and Arsenal.

“He’s playing a magnificent tournament,” Lloris mentioned. “Poland deserve to be here at this stage and they’ve got a great goalkeeper as well.” Szczesny is the one goalkeeper this World Cup to have saved two spot kicks — one towards Saudi Arabia and the second towards Lionel Messi.

Szczesny himself conceded the latter one for brushing the Argentina nice’s face along with his glove when stretching for a cross. It was scoreless on the time in a sport Argentina received 2-0 on Wednesday.

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Szczesny’s advised the story of how he guess Messi throughout a prolonged video overview that the penalty wouldn’t be awarded, solely including to his quirky time in Qatar.

The character of the 32-year-old Juventus goalkeeper, who is ready to play his seventieth sport for Poland, isn’t any shock to long-time teammates.
“It’s not that Wojciech Szczesny started to be such a great goalkeeper in this tournament — he’s been a great goalkeeper for years,” ahead Arkadiusz Milik mentioned Saturday by an interpreter.

“It’s not a coincidence that in his career he played for wonderful clubs.” Poland probably will want Szczesny and Lewandowski to excel in its first knockout sport at a World Cup since 1986. Since that 4-0 loss to Brazil, France received each its world titles and likewise was a overwhelmed finalist.

Deschamps highlighted Lewandowski’s qualities as intelligent, technically gifted and is aware of the right way to use his physique intelligently towards defenders.
“He didn’t get a lot of the ball in the group stage, but with just one chance he can be very dangerous,” the France coach mentioned.

Giving Poland some hope is that France misplaced within the spherical of 16 final 12 months on the European Championship towards Switzerland. Mbappé had the decisive penalty saved in a shootout after a 3-3 draw.

“We talked about that a lot,” mentioned Lloris, who couldn’t cease any of the 5 Swiss spot kicks that evening in Bucharest.
“You have to be confident, but if a penalty is well taken, then the goalkeeper has no chance of stopping it.” In Qatar, Szczesny may be simply the one to show that incorrect.