WALTHAM, Massachusetts, June 20 (Reuters) - France may be the overwhelming favourites ahead of their second World Cup Group I game against Iraq on Monday but they will be bracing themselves for a big battle, France defender William Saliba said.
The French, 2022 World Cup finalists and world champions four years earlier, are on three points following a 3-1 victory over Senegal. Iraq lost their opener 4-1 to group leaders Norway after a strong start to the game.
"They (Iraq) have a good team and it will not be easy even if people think it might be," Saliba told a press conference on Saturday. "They qualified, they beat Boliviato earn their spot, they drew with Spain, and we expect a great battle."
Iraq, who drew 1-1 with Spain in a friendly days before the tournament started, have never won a World Cup match, losing all three of their group games at their only previous appearance in 1986.
They needed to play 21 qualification matches in order to earn their place in this tournament, grabbing the last available World Cup spot by beating Bolivia 2-1 in their intercontinental playoff in late March.
"I think it will be a very intense match," fellow France defender Lucas Digne said. "They are playing to stay in the competition and so it will be a very physical match."
"We know the system they will use with their 4-4-2 and their forwards. It will be a very direct match and we need to be ready for that," Digne added.
Saliba and his teammates, who sharply criticised the quality of the pitch in their first match in New York/New Jersey Stadium, are hoping for an improved version for their game in Philadelphia.
"I was a bit surprised by the quality of the pitch," Saliba said. "The pitch felt like it was artificial and hard but we were obliged to play. It is clear that the grass was not top. Obviously it is the same for both teams but it was not top."
(Reporting by Karolos GrohmannEditing by Christian Radnedge)
