France have looked ominously strong at the World Cup so far, powering past Norway, Senegal and Iraq to comfortably win what looked like a potentially tricky group.
They next face a Sweden side that shipped seven goals in their group, and the expectation is that Les Blues will progress to the last 16.
It seemed likely that France would face Germany, but instead they will come up against a defensively resilient Paraguay should they beat Sweden.
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How overlooked advantage could benefit France
In Qatar four years ago, Argentina played the majority of their matches at the Lusail Stadium, including the quarter-final, semi-final and final.
Lionel Messi and co. clearly felt increasingly comfortable at the arena, where winning became a habit.
France could well benefit from something similar, as they prepare to play at the New York New Jersey Stadium for the second time in their last 32 match.
Didier Deschamps’ side won their tournament opener against Senegal in New York, and could yet go to the stadium for the final on July 19th.
Familiarity with a stadium at a major tournament, where the environment is often one of the challenges, can only be a positive.
And it’s not just the New York New Jersey Stadium where France could get comfortable.
They also played at the Philadelphia Stadium in the group stage, beating Iraq 3-0 (after an interruption due to bad weather), and Boston Stadium where they dominated Norway 4-1.
If they beat Sweden, France will meet Paraguay in Philadelphia, ensuring that they stay on the USA’s East Coast. Make it to the final, and France will have played three of their eight games in New York/New Jersey.
While those fine margins could prove crucial in knockout football, the quality in France’s squad is likely to be a deciding factor too.
Kylian Mbappe has started the World Cup strongly, while Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise also look in formidable form.