Rice alone in the pocket where Cherki loves to roam

The team sheets tell the story before a ball moves. France line up 4-2-3-1 with Rayan Cherki, Michael Olise and Désiré Doué feeding Kylian Mbappé — a band of playmakers behind one runner. England answer with a 4-1-2-3 and Declan Rice as the lone screen in front of the back four.

That's the fault line. Rice has Cherki drifting into his zone and Mbappé stretching in behind, and only Marc Guéhi and Ezri Konsa for cover once he steps out. It's a lot of ground for one holder.

England don't lack punch up top. Ivan Toney, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford give them width and a focal point, and Anthony Gordon scored in their most recent game, a 1-2 loss to Argentina. But England's recent nights have run the more open, while France's have stayed lower-scoring — and the bookmakers make Les Bleus the favourites.