FIFA World Cup 2018: Group ‘C’ Preview – France, Australia, Peru and Denmark

France brimmed with talent

    France have appeared at 14 World Cups, claiming their best result when they won the title on home soil in 1998 led by then captain and current coach Didier Deschamps, as Les Bleus beat Brazil 3-0 in the final at the Stade de France. After finishing third in 1958, France had to wait until the 1980s to become title contenders once more, twice falling at the semi-final stage to West Germany in 1982 and four years later. France reached the final again in 2006, inspired by talismanic midfielder Zinedine Zidane, who scored and was then sent off in the title match after his remarkable head butt on Marco Materazzi as Italy won on penalties following a 1-1 draw.   Coach: Didier Deschamps   Key players: Antoine Griezmann: Griezmann's stellar campaign with Atletico Madrid has seen him strongly linked with a move to Barcelona during the close season. After scoring 19 goals from 30 La Liga games and six in 13 European ties, the striker heads to Russia in the form of his life. Paul Pogba: France's chances could largely depend on Pogba's form after the Manchester United midfielder endured a patchy season under coach Jose Mourinho, who was not afraid to drop him following poor performances. Deschamps will also be prepared to keep Pogba on the bench if his performances waver in Russia. Olivier Giroud: Giroud has often been dismissed by fans as too clumsy and one-dimensional to lead the France attack yet the Chelsea striker, Europe's most prolific in the air over the past three seasons, has always saved some of his best performances for the national side.   Form guide: France have conceded six goals in their last three games, including in a 3-2 home defeat in a friendly against Colombia, indicating that Les Bleus have a problem in defence. They did bounce back with a convincing 3-1 away win against Russia but Deschamps will be hoping centre backs Samuel Umtiti and Raphael Varane are on their best form when the competition starts.   Prospects: France should have little trouble advancing from Group C where they will face Australia, Denmark and Peru. They will, however, be wary of Peru as the last time they played a South American side (Colombia), they lost. If they qualify for the last 16, they will take on one of the top-two finishers in Group D, which features Argentina, Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria. Should they make the quarter-finals, Les Bleus could face either Spain or Portugal, who beat them in the Euro 2016 final.      

Danes face easy opening

    Four appearances, starting in 1986. Their best result is making the quarter-finals in 1998, but they crashed out at the group stage in 2010 and missed the 2014 tournament.   Coach: Age Hareiede   Key players: Christian Eriksen: The Tottenham Hotspur playmaker has developed into one of the world’s most exciting and cerebral attacking talents. Four-times Danish player of the year, his balance, control and vision have been vital for Denmark since his debut against Austria in 2010, and his 11 goals in qualifying are evidence of the threat he poses to opposing defences. Kasper Schmeichel: A Premier League winner with Leicester City, the son of former Denmark keeper Peter has stepped out of his father’s shadow to become the number one goalkeeper for club and country. Schmeichel’s winning mentality, lightning reactions and good distribution will be crucial if Denmark are to survive beyond the group stage. Simon Kjaer: The linchpin of the Danish defence, the Sevilla centre half is equally comfortable in physical and tactical battles. Excellent positional sense and well able to pick out his forwards with a long pass.   Form guide: Denmark were missing most of their top players when they slipped to defeats by Sweden and Jordan on their January tour to Abu Dhabi, and a better barometer of their form is the 5-1 thrashing of Ireland in Dublin in November to book their World Cup spot.   Prospects: Faced with Peru and Australia in their opening two games, the Danes will be aiming for two victories before taking on France in their final Group C clash. Should they qualify for the knockout stage, they will face a tough game against Argentina, Iceland, Croatia or Nigeria.      

Socceroos aim last 16

    Australia have qualified for four World Cups prior to Russia, including the last three. Their best performance was 2006 in Germany, when they reached the last 16. They failed to reach the knockouts in the last two tournaments and in their maiden World Cup in West Germany in 1974.   Coach: Bert van Marwijk   Key players: Tim Cahill: Australia's dependence on 38-year-old Cahill, the country's most prolific scorer with 50 goals in 105 appearances, is symbolic of the nation's failure to regenerate after the passing of the 'Golden Generation' a decade ago. But he remains revered by home fans as a proven big-stage performer, having netted five goals from the past three World Cups. His years as an attacking midfielder are long gone, but Cahill remains a threat near the goalmouth and a menace in the air. Mile Jedinak: Australia stand just a bit taller when their bearded captain is on the pitch and team management will have fingers crossed that the defensive midfield stalwart can stay fit throughout the tournament. The 33-year-old missed plenty of football last year due to a problematic groin, but he is the Socceroos' go-to man for spot kicks. Mathew Leckie: One of the few Socceroos getting regular minutes in a top European league, Germany-based winger Leckie made a barnstorming start with four goals in five matches for Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin and returned to form in recent weeks after a lean patch in mid-season. Australia will hope the Melbourne man can add to his modest tally of six goals in 51 appearances, as well as setting up Cahill and striker Tomi Juric up front.   Form guide: Van Marwijk's first game in charge was described by Australian media as a "horror show" as the Socceroos went down 4-1 away to Norway in a friendly in March before they produced a more assured effort to hold Colombia 0-0 days later in another World Cup warmup in London. Prior to Van Marwijk's arrival, Australia were undefeated in five matches under Postecoglou, which included World Cup qualifier wins over Syria, Thailand and Honduras.   Prospects: Van Marwijk has set the Socceroos the goal of reaching the last 16 but with no world-class players, it would be an achievement for them to avoid three straight defeats let alone advance from Group C where they play France, Denmark and Peru. Their best hope may be to scrape a draw in their opener if mercurial France have an off-night, then push desperately for a win in one of the other games. Australia never lack fighting spirit, however, and with a burst of magic from veteran Cahill, the underdogs could well spring at least one surprise.    

Peru return after 36 years

    Peru have waited 36 years to return to the World Cup finals after the last of their four appearances in 1982 in Spain. Their best performances were in 1970 and 1978 when they reached the quarter-finals. Peru's most famous tournament was Argentina in 1978 where they won their group after beating Iran and Scotland -- with a spectacular Teofilo Cubillas free kick—and drawing with the Netherlands.   Coach: Ricardo Gareca   Key players: Jefferson Farfan: Having been only recently restored to the national squad, the 33-year-old winger celebrated wildly with fans after scoring the all-important opener in Peru's 2-0 playoff victory over New Zealand. Renato Tapia: The versatile, 22-year-old Feyenoord midfielder has been praised for his maturity and will be crucial to Peru's chances of staying defensively solid while also opening cracks in opponents. As a teenager trying to break into FC Twente's first team in the Netherlands during the last World Cup, he remembers Dutch celebrations at coming third. Christian Cueva: The 26-year-old attacking midfielder, who plays for Sao Paulo in Brazil, is a fine dribbler with a sharp change of pace. The undisputed creative force in Peru's squad, Cueva played a part in plenty of goals during qualification.   Form guide: After slowly improving during the qualifiers, "Los Incas" have shown their credentials with a couple of eye-catching friendly wins. First, they beat Croatia 2-0 and then they defeated Iceland -- no pushovers -- 3-1. Those two victories over European sides, both in the United States with thousands of their "blanquirroja" (white-and-red-clad) fans present, have added to Peru's growing self-confidence.   Prospects:   Regarded as one of the weaker sides and a 200-1 long shot to win the title, Peru go into the World Cup with few expectations outside their own country. However, they will draw strength from a lengthy unbeaten run, and 11th place in the FIFA rankings. Peru will be seriously targeting Group C opponents Denmark and Australia for points, and praying for an upset against France.