Swedish International: I have ideas on how to defend Mbappé, We can achieve more

According to RMC Sport, Staffelt is expected to be a key player for Sweden against France.

The lesser-known center-back could feature in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against France on Tuesday evening (Beijing time). With Schien sidelined for the rest of the tournament due to injury, if Potter doesn't choose Gudmundsson, he might pair Staffelt with Lindelöf and Lagerbielke at center-back. The 31-year-old Staffelt has only played 3 minutes in this World Cup, which came in the 1-1 draw against Japan in the third group stage match.

Swedish media outlet Göteborgs-Posten quoted him saying: "It felt great. It was really wonderful to make my World Cup debut in a crucial match. I felt good when I came on as a substitute."

Regarding a potential start against France on Tuesday, Staffelt stated that he is "in good physical condition" and ready to play, and also prepared to face Mbappé again. This is not their first encounter. Staffelt has previously played against the French forward when Mbappé played for Paris Saint-Germain. Last December, Staffelt's team won 2-0 at the Parc des Princes. Staffelt successfully contained the French star then, which gives him confidence for a possible rematch at MetLife Stadium.

Staffelt said: "First, we must defend well as a team and not give him too many chances. Then, we need to mark him closely. I have played against him many times, and from a personal perspective, this has helped me a lot. I feel I have some ideas on how to stop him."

The threat from France does not come only from Mbappé. Staffelt pointed out that Dembélé, Oulisse, and Diouf are also very threatening. He said: "All four of them are extremely talented. We must strive to win the game from the start, play solid defense, win duels, and stay tight. We cannot allow gaps."

Staffelt also embraces Sweden's underdog status, concluding: "We will achieve more than expected."

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