Norway vs France: World Cup group decider lights up Boston
Two of the group's form sides meet at Gillette Stadium with top spot on the line, as Erling Haaland's Norway look to topple a confident, free-scoring France.
France look every inch the side everyone expected. Five wins from their last six, fifteen goals scored and a three-match winning run have given Didier Deschamps' group a settled, dangerous rhythm. Tournament victories over Senegal and Iraq were handled with the assurance of a team that knows how to manage a World Cup, and an attack featuring Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Marcus Thuram rarely needs more than one opening.
Norway, though, are not here to make up numbers. Two straight World Cup wins, including a thrilling 3-2 over Senegal, have lifted belief around a generation that finally has the stage it craves. Erling Haaland leads the line with Martin Odegaard pulling the strings, and behind them sits genuine depth, from Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa to the emerging Oscar Bobb.
The tactical questions almost write themselves. Norway will back their physicality and direct threat to unsettle a French back line that has occasionally looked open, conceding six in its last six outings. France, in turn, will fancy their movement and pace to expose any gaps Norway leave when they commit bodies forward in search of a result.
Momentum makes this one delicious. Both teams are scoring freely and winning, and neither will want to settle for a cautious afternoon when finishing top is on offer. For Norway it is a chance to announce themselves against one of the favourites; for France it is the moment to confirm they are peaking at exactly the right time.
Expect noise, intensity and a crowd in Massachusetts ready to be entertained. When Haaland and Mbappe share the same pitch with so much riding on the outcome, fans hardly need a second invitation to tune in.
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