France will be looking to make it consecutive wins in the World Cup qualifiers when they host Iceland at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

Iceland kicked off their qualifying campaign with an impressive win, but to build on it, they will have to take down France on their home turf. While Les Bleus were not at their best in their latest round of fixtures, they got the job done and have enough firepower to pull off another positive result.

The 2022 World Cup finalists kick-started their qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Ukraine. While Didier Deschamps’s men did dominate the proceedings, they were lucky to have kept a clean sheet, having conceded a lot of clear-cut chances.

However, Ukraine were not clinical enough in the final third, and France made the most out of the chances they created to claim all three points on the night. Now, they will be looking to build on it against Iceland.

The visitors put up a dominant display against Azerbaijan on the most recent rounds of fixture. They had the majority of the ball, created a truckload of chances and smashed the opponents 5-0 to claim the three points.

Given their performances against Azerbaijan, Iceland will be confident about putting up a strong performance against France. However, causing an upset against Les Bleus won’t be that easy, given the difference in quality of the two squads. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

France

France will be without the services of PSG duo Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue. Apart from the duo, everyone else should be available for selection. Didier Deschamps will be forced to make a change to the XI that started in their last outing with Doue out injured.

Against Iceland, the France boss will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mike Maignan will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Lucas Digne should continue as the full-backs, with Ibrahima Konate pairing up with Dayot Upamecano at the heart of the defence.

As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni and Manu Kone should form the double pivot. They will look to shield the backline and ensure France have the majority of the ball. Liverpool summer signing Hugo Ekitike could feature on the left flank, while Bradley Barcola should start on the right. Michael Olise will take up the number ten role, with Kylian Mbappe leading the line.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Upamecano, Digne; Tchouameni, Kone; Ekitike, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe

Iceland

Iceland have not reported any fresh injury concerns, and given the kind of performance they put up last time out, there are high chances of them starting this fixture with the same XI.

The away side will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Elias Rafn Olafsson will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Victor Palsson, Sverrir Ingi Ingason and Daniel Gretarsson.

Meanwhile, Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson and Mikael Egill Ellertsson will continue as the wing-backs. While the midfield trifecta will look to contribute in the attacking third, their priority will be to keep the French wide players at bay.

In the centre of the park, Stefan Teitur Thordarson will partner with Isak Bergmann Johannesson. The duo will look to ensure French midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. Hakon Arnar Haraldsson and Albert Gudmundsson will feature out wide on the flanks, while Andri Gudjohnsen will lead the line.

Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Olafsson; Palsson, Ingason, Gretarsson; Thorsteinsson, Thordarson, Johannesson, Ellertsson; Haraldsson, Gudjohnsen, Gudmundsson

Key Stats

• Iceland have only won two out of their last five games across competitions.
• Les Bleus have scored two or more goals in eight out of their last ten outings.
• France have lost one out of their last five home games.
• Iceland haven’t won any of their 15 meetings against France.
• The visitors have only managed one draw in their last five outings against Les Bleus.

Player to Watch

Kylian Mbappe

Embed from Getty Images

After an impressive 2024/25 season, Mbappe has made a sensational start to the new campaign. In his three league outings for Real Madrid, he has managed to find the back of the net on three occasions.

The French skipper has carried that form into the international break. Mbappe bagged a goal against Ukraine, and he will be hoping to add to his tally of 51 international goals when he takes the field against Iceland. Didier Deschamps will certainly be hoping his leading marksman helps them get a step closer to the World Cup finals.

Prediction

France 3-1 Iceland

France will go into this clash as the clear favourites, boasting a much stronger squad and home advantage at Parc des Princes. Despite not being at their fluent best against Ukraine, they did enough to secure all three points, and with Kylian Mbappe in fine form, they possess the firepower to break down Iceland’s defence.

Iceland will be confident after their 5-0 rout of Azerbaijan, but facing a side of France’s calibre away from home is an entirely different challenge. The difference in quality is likely to tell. Expect Les Bleus to control the majority of the game and create enough chances to secure a comfortable win, while Iceland might manage a consolation goal on the counter. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.