Lionesses can beat France, says England head coach Mark Sampson
Tuesday 18 October 2016 14:23, UK
England head coach Mark Sampson is confident England can beat France for the first time in 42 years when the two sides clash in a friendly at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium on Friday night.
The Lionesses lost against France in their opening group match at the 2015 Women's World Cup before going on to claim an historic bronze medal with victory over reigning European champions Germany in the third-place match.
France are ranked third in the FIFA Women's Rankings but were held to a goalless draw by England at this year's SheBelieves Cup in America.
"It's a big test, a really exciting test and there is a big history against France across lots of different sports," Sampson told Sky Sports News HQ.
"We're excited but we haven't beaten France for a long, long time. After 42 years we are well overdue a win and we think we are ready for them as well.
"We've played them three times in the last couple of years and have gotten closer every time we've played but we feel we should have beaten them the last time we played them.
"It's an important we take Friday's game positively. We'll approach it to win it. There are no friendly games in international football."
After playing France, The Lionesses travel to Guadalajara for a friendly against Spain next week, and forward Karen Carney believes both fixtures represent ideal preparation for next year's European Championships in The Netherlands.
"We have to respect our opponents because they are a top team but we will push hard and try our best," she said.
"Equally, Spain the following week are fantastic opposition who are so different to France. They are more counter-attacking with quicker more intricate play. They are two fantastic teams and the kinds of teams England need to play against ahead of the Euros."
