Dugout Discussion – France vs Republic of Ireland

Sunday treats us to three more matches as the Euro 2016 knockout stages gather pace.

First up at two o’clock, France look to justify their spot as tournament favourites by getting the better of Republic of Ireland at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

The hosts roll up to the Round of 16 as Group A winners with seven points claimed from a possible nine. Having earned back-to-back victories against Romania and Albania, Didier Deschamps’ decision to ring the changes against Switzerland saw Les Bleus’ momentum curtailed after playing out a goalless draw.

Certainly, the home side will need to improve their shooting. Despite scoring four times so far, France have managed a mere 11 efforts on target – indeed, their shot accuracy of 22% was the second-lowest of any team to qualify for the knockouts.

Martin O’Neill’s men will take to the pitch in buoyant mood in light of the 1-0 win over Italy that helped them progress as one of the best third-placed teams.

Similar to the hosts, Ireland’s have been somewhat wayward with their attempts – a tally of eight efforts on target was joint-bottom of all 16 nations to reach the knockout stages.

Bearing in mind that only two teams allowed their opponents fewer efforts inside the area than France, the underdogs may well find it difficult to make a breakthrough as they look to book a place against England or Iceland in the quarter-finals.