World Cup comment: England must find their inner German to get past Mbappe's France

The most worthy tribute to the Three Lions' canter into their latest quarter-final of a knock-out competition arrived in those words above from respected German football journalist Raphael Honigstein.

On many previous occasions - too many to mention - it was the English press who regularly used such words to describe Germany, the ultimate tournament team.

How times have changed. The internal finger-pointing en masse is now in Germany and not England.

If England really are 'the new Germany', then they must pass their ultimate test against the fabulous French at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday evening. The world champions.

The step up in class from facing Senegal to France will be akin to moving from a decent all-inclusive in the Gulf to the Burj Al Arab.

You must go back to Rio's similarly iconic Maracana Stadium in June 2014 for the last time Les Bleus lost in the World Cup knock-out stages.

That came against Germany, whose control, discipline and tournament savvy shone through as strongly as the fierce Brazilian sun.

Die Mannschaft scored early through Mats Hummels' goal and protected their lead admirably. Not a thrilling watch, but solid with a capital s. Efficient, professional and ruthless in its own way.

Their big players, leaders such as Phillip Lahm and Thomas Muller turned up, with the duo showing their tactical dexterity by featuring at right-back and right wing and doing sound jobs for the team.

England's main protagonists must now do the same if they are to extend their tournament into a fourth and final week. Others too.

After winning six knock-out games in major tournaments from 1968 to 2016, England - under Gareth Southgate - have triumphed in six from 2018 to 2022.

Their biggest scalp were the Germans, memorably, at the last-16 stage of Euro 2020 at Wembley.

Some victories have been handsome - think the regal win over Ukraine in Rome, the serenity against Sweden in Samara in their last World Cup quarter-final in 2018.

Some have been angst-ridden, think Colombia on penalties in Moscow and Denmark on home soil.

On Sunday, the other word to describe England was mature.

After a sticky start against Senegal, England worked things out and beat their opponents pressing traps and started to pick cavernous holes on the counter-attack. The roar of the Lions of Teranga was no more.

Against France, England must be 'on point' to a man and play at their highest tactical level to have any prospect of reaching a second successive World Cup semi-final.

And just as Joachim Low got big calls right against France back in Brazil - he dropped Per Mertersacker, fielded a fit-again Hummels and brought in Miroslav Klose - so Southgate is entrusted with doing the same in a game which is an acid test not just for his players but himself and his coaching staff.

Tactically, Southgate has had a good tournament thus far.

A half-time switch against Wales which saw Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford move from inverted to orthodox wingers bore fruit for instance.

The restoration of Jordan Henderson into the starting line-up has also been significant and successful.

A key call now revolves around England's wide-sided attackers with their game management and discipline without the ball in helping to attend to Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele and providing support to the backline being imperative on Saturday.

Could Southgate throw in a curve ball? The one thing he has proved is that he is very much his own man and is impervious to outside noise. It is an undoubted strength. A bit like with Low.

A back five with Kieran Trippier playing as a right wing-back and Walker moving inside to try and clip the wings of the world's best player in Mbappe is something which will be under consideration, for sure.

Whether people are for or against that particular change, the England manager has surely earned the right to do what he sees fit.

Substitutions could also play a big part on the night, given the riches at Southgate's disposal in terms of squad depth.

The French have the tournament’s star – certainly in an offensive sense - so far in the electrifying Mbappe and two very able outriders in Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann.

Scintillating yes, but this is not a team of supermen either.

Five of the French side likely to be on parade on Saturday were part of the team knocked out of Euro 2020 on penalties to the Swiss.

That line-up also contained three world-class players in Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema who are currently back at home.

France start as deserved favourites. But not overwhelming favourites. England need to carry on being German. Their strength is their strength.