Sweden’s talisman plots a historic upset against clinical France, bracing for a defensive masterclass and a high-stakes showdown with Arsenal teammate William Saliba in New Jersey.
Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has spoken out about his side's upcoming Round of 32 fixture against France in East Rutherford, New Jersey having qualified from the group stages for the first time since being knocked out of the competition by England in the Quarter-Finals in 2018.
Viktor Gyokeres is interviewed after Sweden draw 1-1 with Japan in Group F at the World Cup (REUTERS)Sweden qualified as the 2nd best 3rd placed team in the Group Stages, following a tough run in Group F which saw them come up against The Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. The Blågult kicked off their World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion, registering a 5-1 victory over Tunisia with Gyokeres kicking off his first ever major tournament as he meant to go on with an opening game goal.
This was then followed by a 5-1 demolition from the Netherlands in their second group game. Potter’s side then had it all to play for against Japan in their final group fixture, but could only muster up a 1-1 draw against The Samurai Blue and so ended in third place.
In contrast, France made light work of Group I which included Senegal, Norway and Iraq. Deschamp’s men won every one of their matches, winning 3-1, 3-0 and 1-4 respectively to set up tomorrow night's tie. Arsenal and Sweden’s talisman has had his say on the tough fixture and what to expect.
The 28 year-old has spoken out about the quality that Les Bleus possess in a recent interview. “They’re a fantastic team with fantastic players. We know it is going to be a really tough game” he said when he was asked about the calibre of his upcoming opponents.
Sweden do possess threats of their own through Gyokeres himself, Aleksandr Isak of Liverpool, Anthony Elanga of Newcastle and Yasin Ayari of Bright & Hove Albion in the midfield. Gyokeres did not count out their chances of causing a famous upset, but admitted “we have to be almost perfect defensively if we’re going to have a chance.”
Sweden naturally go into the game as underdogs, but the number 17 has said that they have to believe in the team, manager and tactics. “Even though we’re not favourites, we believe in ourselves. I think we have to believe in ourselves. If we do everything right, we have a chance” he said.
Gyokeres will also come toe-to-toe with a familiar face in tomorrow night’s interesting encounter. Arsenal’s William Saliba has been at the heart of a France defence that has conceded just two goals in the whole tournament so far. That being said, he is likely to have one of his toughest tests yet, looking to keep Gyokeres at bay. The Swede has had his say on facing his teammate. “It’s going to be fun. He is one of the best centre-backs in the world. It’s a challenge that you want as a striker.”
It remains to be seen who is going to come out on top tomorrow and progress to the Round of 16, but there is no hiding from Gyokeres on just how big a challenge they have ahead of them if they want to get through.
In the event of a huge upset, they would then embark on a journey to Philadelphia where they would play either Germany or Paraguay for a spot in the Quarter-Final.
