World Cup 2018: France vs Argentina in numbers

France are taking on Argentina and these are their facts

This is the first ever World Cup knockout game meeting between France and Argentina

However, they have faced off twice in the group stage of the World Cup, which Argentina won both meetings and reached the final- 1930, they lost the final and in 1978, the South Americans won.

France and Argentina will be facing each other for the 12th time. The South Americans hold the upper hand with six wins to two, keeping a clean sheet in eight of their previous 11 encounters.

They have only played twice in the last 32 years, in friendlies in 2007 and 2009, which were won by Argentina (1-0 and 2-0 respectively).

The fixture is the first between two previous world champions at this World Cup.

France

The French haven't lost in their last eight World Cup matches against South American opposition at the World Cup, since a 2-1 defeat to Argentina in 1978.

Didier Deschamps will take charge of his 80th game as France head coach, overtaking Raymond Domenech's record.

Excluding penalty shoot-outs, France have lost only one of their last 11 games in the knockout stage of the World Cup (W8, D2), which was a 1-0 defeat to eventual winners Germany in 2014.

Since the introduction of the round of 16 in 1986, Les Bleus have always made it past that stage whenever they've reached it (1986, 1998, 2006 and 2014).

Argentina have gone past the first round for the 12th time in their last 13 World Cup appearances, with the only exception coming in 2002.

Their last four knockout games in the tournament have produced only three goals (two goals for, one against).

They have won each of their last 27 World Cup matches in which they were leading at half-time, since a 4-2 defeat in the 1930 World Cup final against Uruguay.