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However, any rival will face the same conundrum: however many goals they score, Les Bleus always look capable of scoring one more.
Mbappe has been France’s central figure again, while Dembele’s hat-trick against Norway and Olise’s creativity have underlined the depth of attacking options available to Deschamps. Barcola, Doue, Rayan Cherki, Jean-Philippe Mateta or Marcus Thuram give France the kind of bench power no team can match.
Sweden arrive as awkward opponents rather than spectacular ones. They finished second in Group F behind the Netherlands, opening with a 5-1 win over Tunisia before being torn apart by the Dutch 5-1 and drawing with Japan 1-1.
However, they have enough physical presence and organisation to make the evening uncomfortable if France lose patience.
The knockout stage is a different test from the group phase, when France were able to overwhelm opponents despite occasional defensive lapses. But the 2022 final against Argentina aside, France have not lost a knockout game at the World Cup since 2014.
Can Sweden cause an upset?
“I don’t buy it. Sweden have Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Anthony Elanga. They are not a bad side, but they are nowhere near France’s firepower,” former England great Gary Lineker told French sports daily L’Equipe.
“Of course, with four genuine forwards, Les Bleus could be vulnerable on the counter, as we saw against Norway’s second string on Friday, but they will score more goals than the other teams.”
Victory would send France into the Round of 16 against Germany or Paraguay.
Tk 20 crore
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Responding to questions from opposition MPs, he said the funds will be distributed through district councils, adding that city corporation areas would be covered later.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed then said despite serving in parliament for 40 years, including as an opposition MP, he had never received such an allocation.
“I was arrested and jailed five times. That is all I got, nothing more,” he said.
The speaker also praised opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman for raising a range of national issues during the budget discussion.
He expressed hope that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury would give “due consideration” to the opposition leader’s remarks.