Reigning world champions France after a shocking defeat in the last group stage match against Tunisia gathered to push their title defense when they face Poland in the Round of 16 game at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha Sunday.
The Les Bleus made nine changes in the squad against Tunisia and failed to avoid the 1-0 defeat despite sending some of their best players in the form of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and more.
And that defeat hit hard their momentum for the game against Poland where they will likely revert to the XI used in Denmark match.
France coach Didier Deschamps, whose team lost on tie-breaker to Switzerland in the last 16 of last year's European Championship, was asked during the pre-match press conference to reflect on that and he found no point to talk further.
“I don't see the interest in talking about that. The players who were there will not want to relive it. The only thing in common is that it was also a last-16 tie."
It was inevitable that opponent captain Robert Lewandowski, who finally got a World Cup goal in their second match against Saudi Arabia, would take the limelight during the press conference, and the French coach and captain soon followed the crowd.
"We must make sure to limit his influence. The fewer balls he has, the less dangerous he will be. Beyond his intelligence, his technical skill, he uses his body very well, even if he has not always had a lot of balls in his first three matches,” said Deschamps, who won this elite title both as a player and coach.
"But the slightest ball can be dangerous with him. We are not going to focus on him, but he is there to materialize everything that can be dangerous," he added.
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Captain Hugo Lloris, who is about to equal Lilian Thuram as France's most-capped player in the World Cup with Sunday's knockout clash, echoed his coach's sentiment.
"He (Lewandowski) has been one of the best number nines in the world for years now, but they are a good side collectively, and they take a lot of pleasure in defending and suffering," said Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris.
Lloris, who lifted the trophy after the final in Moscow four years ago, said he is very proud of the feat of record 142nd cap for France to match another legend and 1998 World Cup winner Thuram.
"It is no small achievement. I am really honored at the figures and very proud, even if it is very much secondary to the fact that we are on the eve of the last 16 of the World Cup. In my eyes this competition comes before anything else,” said Lloris.
"I want to conserve all my energy for (Sunday) because it's going to be another battle,” he added.
On the other hand, during the pre-match press conference of Poland, who reached the knockout stage for the first time since 1986, coach Czeslaw Michniewicz expressed belief of winning the World Cup trophy if they get past France.
"We were not ready to go home. If we win against France we could become the next world champions," said Michniewicz, who only took over the Poland job in January this year.
"We're very happy to play the world champions. France are not already guaranteed to advance. Everything's to play for, you win or go home and the stakes are high.”
