After falling behind early on, the world champions simply moved through the gears to blow Graham Arnold’s men away and send out a message to their tournament rivals.
Next up is a Denmark side who huffed and puffed but without any end result in drawing 0-0 with Tunisia in their opener, and who need to get points on the board.
Below are the confirmed lineups for both teams ahead of the match at Stadium 974.
MORE: France vs. Denmark World Cup time, live stream, TV channel, lineups, odds
France vs Denmark starting lineups
France coach Didier Deschamps has a difficult decision to make over whether to change a winning team when his side meet the Danes.
Ibrahima Konate was preferred to the vastly more experienced Raphael Varane in defence for the opening game against Australia, but the latter is fit and raring to go for this one.
“He could have played, he was ready, he was fit. We discussed it with him,” Deschamps said of Varane.
“He was fit for the first game and he’s fit for the second game. We will have to make that decision. The main thing is that he’s fit and ready.”
MORE: Complete World Cup injury tracker, injuries for all 32 teams
France confirmed starting 11
France (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Lloris (GK) – 5. Kounde, 4. Varane, 18. Upamecano, 22. T. Hernandez – 8. Tchouameni, 14. Rabiot – 11. Dembele, 7. Griezmann, 10. Mbappe – 9. Giroud
Injured: Benzema, L. Hernandez, Coman Suspended: none
Deschamps was forced into at least one change at the back after Lucas Hernandez suffered a knee injury that has ruled him out of the rest of the tournament. He joins Karim Benzema in taking no further part, after the Ballon d’Or winner was ruled out on the eve of the tournament.
Hernandez’s brother, Theo, will be his replacement, while Kingsley Coman was the only other doubt after missing training on Friday, and he missed the lineup as well. Jules Kounde comes in at right-back to replace Benjamin Pavard.
Denmark confirmed starting 11
Denmark (3-4-3, right to left): 1. Schmeichel (GK) – 2. Andersen, 3. Nelsson, 6. A. Christensen – 5. Maehle, 23. Hojbjerg, 10. Eriksen, 13. Kristensen — 14 Damsgaard, 21. Cornelius, 25 Lindstrom.
Injured: Delaney Suspended: none
Thomas Delaney is set to miss the remainder of the World Cup after suffering a knee injury against Tunisia.
Head coach Kasper Hjulmand has made a complete round of changes, many of them eye-popping. He’s kept his three-CB formation, but has sat captain Simon Kjaer, with Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson coming in to replace him. Also benched is Kasper Dolberg who is sat alongside both attackers who played alongside him in the opener.
In their places come a trio of reinforcements in Andreas Cornelius, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Jesper Lindstrom.
