- France have won 8, drawn 1 and lost just 1 of their last 10 matches in all competitions.
- Senegal have won just 1 of their last 3 (D1, L1), drawing 0-0 with Saudi Arabia and losing 3-2 to USA.
- France have scored 3 goals in each of their last 2, beating Northern Ireland 3-1 and Colombia 1-3 (A).
Senegal will make France work for their win
This Group I fixture will be played in New York/New Jersey with little advantage, but there will be plenty of storylines and atmosphere surrounding this clash.
This France side may not be as strong as the 2002 edition that lost to Senegal in the World Cup but they are well drilled, ruthless and full of stars, including the outstanding Kylian Mbappé, who will be a handful for the Lions of Teranga.
Didier Deschamps has created a results-oriented side in the years he has been in charge since 2012, with the tactical nous to adapt his 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system to suit the occasion and the squad with the personnel to produce moments of brilliance.
In Aurélien Tchouaméni, they have the perfect base for his system with a midfield player that can screen the back four, be an outlet, progress the ball and cover ground in the defensive third.
Antoine Griezmann's mix of creativity and tactical intelligence means he can be a link between midfield and attack, while Mbappé is the talisman who can create and finish with the ball.
Senegal have been a model of consistency in recent years under boss Pape Thiaw, who took over in October 2024. His sides are compact, well organised and will be compact in a 4-3-3, with the onus on them to screen the defence and try to counter-attack with wide runners.
They won't be as adventurous as France in the attacking third, preferring to counter, so Kalidou Koulibaly's presence at the back to provide aerial control and physicality in one-on-one contests will be crucial to controlling Mbappé and co.
But Ismaïla Sarr gives them pace and directness down the wings to make transitions, which could be a key element to this matchup with France's width and Senegal's counter-attacking potential.
This is a good Senegal side, but France have been a cut above their opposition over the last few years, winning 4 and losing 1 of their last 5, while Senegal have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 2.
It is fair to say France are the clear favourites at 49/100 and Senegal are a little underpriced at 32/5 for this clash.
While Senegal have won 6, drawn 2 and lost just 2 of their last 10 in all competitions, they have not looked as dominant as in recent times and may be susceptible to a French team that have only conceded 0.8 goals per game in their home games in all competitions over the past few years.
But with France's superior form and squad depth, they are expected to prevail at New York/New Jersey Stadium. Their 1-2 defeat to Ivory Coast at home was a rare blip and they responded with a 1-3 away win against Colombia in their next game, suggesting they can find a way to win this if Senegal make it tough.
Sadio Mané remains the main attacking threat for Senegal, who have lost 1 of their last 3 on the road, winning 2. He can unlock a defence on his day and could punish the French if they over-commit.
France will win but Senegal can still be dangerous on the counter
