From France vs Colombia to Portugal vs Egypt: five fixtures to look out for during the international break

The Premier League may not be back for two weeks but there are plenty of fixtures to look forward to

Mohamed Salah helped guide Egypt to the World Cup (Getty)

The international break is upon once again, with the high drama of the Premier League set to make way for what can only be described as two weeks of footballing purgatory.

Nonetheless, it's not all doom and gloom. With the World Cup just around the corner, that means there are plenty of fixtures to get stuck into as the game's best teams add the finishing touches to their preparations.

With this in mind, we look ahead to five fixtures from the coming international break which will more than fill the Premier League-shaped hole we're now faced with:

Argentina vs Italy (19:45, Friday 23 March):

A match that, on paper, oozes pedigree. But, in reality, both sides are no longer the force they once were. Italy have suffered the greatest fall from grace of the two after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. Argentina, on the other hand, have not won the World Cup since 1986 and only just booked a spot at Russia 2018 thanks to the magic of Lionel Messi. After the disappointment of their World Cup final loss in 2014, followed by another cup final defeat at the 2016 Copa America, the fear is starting to set in.

As such, Argentina will be eager to head into this summer's tournament in the best form possible and a convincing win over Italy would certainly help boost confidence and momentum. For the Italians, it's hard to know what to expect. With very little to play for, Luigi Di Biagio's men could find themselves put to the sword by their South American opponents.

This is likely to be Lionel Messi's last World Cup (Getty)

Germany vs Spain (19:45, Friday 23 March):

Another match that pits two footballing powerhouses against one another. World champions Germany have a title to defend and will be looking to get in as much practice as possible ahead of this summer's tournament. They face an in-form Spanish side that has not lost a game since June 2016.

It's a match that promises high-quality football and one that could be repeated in the latter stages of the World Cup. With an abundance of emerging young talent in both sides - Leroy Sane and Julian Draxler for Germany, Marco Asensio and Alvaro Odriozola for Spain - expect to see a number of players attempting to prove a point to their respective managers.

Portugal vs Egypt (19:45, Friday 23 March):

Portugal head into the World Cup hoping to improve on their 2014 campaign (the side were knocked out in the group stages after finishing behind Germany and the US in Group G). Their surprise success at Euro 2016 gives them good to reason to believe they can do just that - as does the age-defying talent of Cristiano Ronaldo.

In preparation, they face an Egypt that qualified for its first World Cup in 28 years thanks to the contributions of Mohamed Salah. The opportunity to see the winger on the same pitch as Ronaldo makes this a match not to be missed. Significantly, it may be a rare opportunity to see if the Egyptian has what it takes to succeed the Real Madrid great as one of the game's very best.

Will Ronaldo and Portugal be able to go one step further than their surprise Euro 2016 success? (Getty)

France vs Colombia (19:45, Friday 23 March):

Paul Pogba. James Rodriguez. Kylian Mbappe. Radamel Falcao. Antoine Griezmann. The list goes on. This is a clash full to the brim with high-profile names and undeniable talent. France, in particular, are of particular interest. After falling short at Euro 2016, the French will be looking to go all the way this summer. They have the players to do so - there's no doubting that - but they remain untested as a side against quality, non-European teams such as Colombia. This is their chance to test the waters and address any areas of their game which need tweaking ahead of Russia.

Germany vs Brazil (19:45, Tuesday 27 March):

A game fit for a World Cup final - or a semi-final. Two years on from the most ignominious of defeats in their own backyard, Brazil face Germany with revenge on their mind. That 7-1 loss shattered all illusions of grandeur surrounding the team at the time and has forced current coach Tite to rebuild Brazil back up from one of the country's lowest sporting moments. After cruising through the qualification stages, the South Americans are now one of the favourites to win the tournament and an inspired performance against Germany at the Olympiastadion would surely further their cause.