Will tonight’s match between France and England really be any different to the usual dross that accompanies friendly internationals? It’s not exactly great timing as far as the domestic season is concerned and surely Messrs Domenech and Capello will only be allowing certain players a small amount of time on the pitch as a result.

Nevertheless, William Gallas is insisting through the medium of Sky Sports that this isn’t just any old friendly, where the teams politely pass the ball around at a pedestrian pace and finish the game with a 1-1 scoreline which keeps everybody happy. The much-maligned Arsenal skipper instead expects both teams to go hell for leather.

“We know it is always a bit more tense between the English and the French,” said the Gunners captain.

“We appreciate each other but we always want to show that we are better then them.

“The stakes will be high, the stadium will be full – and in our heads, we can’t just consider this as simply a friendly.

“For players who have played in England or who are still there, it is always an added motivation.”

While it’s clear that the players in the England camp will be trying to impress Fabio Capello, it didn’t stop the team from churning out an average performance against Switzerland last month. Sometimes individual players try to do too much in these sort of games, ignoring the simple pass at the expense of something more spectacular. Who will emerge with flying colours?

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