France vs Wales preview, team news, stats, live on Sky Sports
Karim Benzema set to end long wait for France cap; Wales unlikely to risk Ben Davies or Ethan Ampadu; Watch France vs Wales live on Sky Sports Football on Wednesday from 7.45pm; kick-off 8.05pm
Tuesday 1 June 2021 16:09, UK
Team news and stats ahead of France vs Wales in an international friendly on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 8.05pm).
Team news
Karim Benzema is set to play his first game for France after a five-year absence from the national team, with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann likely to be kept in reserve.
Mike Maignan could earn only his second cap after being preferred to Fulham loanee Alphonse Areola in Didier Deschamps’ squad.
- Page on Wales squad: We’ve taken a gamble
- Wales include uncapped Colwill; Lawrence to miss Euro 2020
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- Euro 2020 gossip
Wissam Ben Yedder and the uncapped Jules Kounde will hope to be handed the chance to impress.
Wales manager Robert Page could select Gareth Bale, Harry Wilson and Kieffer Moore in the forward line while the uncapped Cardiff City teenager Rubin Colwill could make his senior bow.
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Tom Lockyer is a late addition to the squad following James Lawrence’s withdrawal, but the defender is another one who has spent plenty of time on the sidelines.
Page may opt against risking Ben Davies or Ethan Ampadu given their fitness issues and the manager has also urged caution over Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen as they build up their stamina.
How to follow
France vs Wales will be shown live on Sky Sports Football from 7.45pm; kick-off 8.05pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Opta stats
- Wales have won just one of their five previous meetings with France (D1 L3), beating Les Bleus 1-0 in Toulouse in 1982 with Ian Rush scoring the winner. All previous meetings have been friendlies.
- The last encounter between France and Wales was back in November 2017 at the Stade de France, with France winning 2-0 with goals from Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud.
- This is only France’s fourth match at the Allianz Riviera in Nice – they are unbeaten in their previous three games at the stadium (W2 D1), all friendlies between 2014 and 2018.
- Wales have won nine of their last 13 matches (D2 L2), conceding just seven goals in this 13-game spell, six of which came in their two defeats: 0-3 to England and 1-3 to Belgium.
- France have won 18 of their last 23 matches (D3 L2), although four of the five matches they’ve failed to win in this run have come on French soil.
- Since a 1-0 victory at Denmark back in November 2008, Wales have lost their last eight away friendly matches, failing to score in each of their last seven on the road.
- Although he hasn’t scored in his last eight starts for Wales, Gareth Bale has five assists in this time and has assisted in each of his last four starts for the Dragons.
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