France, one of the biggest contenders for the World Cup trophy have a rather easy challenge at the start of the World Cup. They’re taking on Australia this Saturday at Kazan’ Arena. Obviously, France is the big favorite here, but the bookies know that as well, which is why odds for France win are very low. If you’re looking for better betting options, make sure to read this France vs. Australia match preview!
France
According to the bookies, France national team is the fourth-biggest favorite for winning the World Cup title and the biggest favorite to finish on the top of the table in the Group C. That’s not a surprise, considering that the other three teams in this group are Peru, Denmark, and Australia.
It’s super-important for France to finish the group stage on the top of the table as the World Cup rules say that the winner of the Group C takes on the runner-up of the Group D. And considering that Argentina is likely to win the top spot in that group, France better do their job well and avoid facing such a strong opponent early on.
To achieve that, they must play well from the very beginning, meaning that beating Australia is a must. Surely, they’re huge favorites here, but some of their fans might be a bit worried. It’s because they have some bad memories of their team underperforming in the group stage. Remember what happened in 2010? France drew with Uruguay in the first round, then lost both to Mexico and South Africa.
But, the times have changed quite a lot since. First of all, Didier Deschamps became their manager in 2012. He led this team to the quarter-final of the World Cup 2014 and the final of Euro 2016. Of course, the manager isn’t the only person responsible for their good performances. This squad has plenty of top-class players in the team, all of whom seem capable of winning the games on their own.
Speaking of France players, the man in the spotlight at the moment is Antoine Griezmann, who just yesterday announced his decision to stay in Atletico Madrid. Apart from Griezmann, France has many other super-talented players in the attack, including Kylian Mbappe.
They’re also strong in defense, where they have Barca’s Umtiti and Real Madrid’s Varane, who’s the most-valuable center-back on the planet according to Transfermarkt. In fact, France have at least one top-class player on each position on the pitch. So, saying which one is the best is practically impossible.
Australia
Australia’s road to the World Cup was a pretty complicated one. After finishing on the 3rd spot in the Group B of the World Cup Asia Qualification campaign, they had to take on Syria in the playoffs. But, even that didn’t mean that their job was done. They then had to play the International Playoffs, in which they drew Honduras.
And now they’re at the World Cup, but not many of their fans are optimistic about their chances of getting to the knockout stage. Australia is expected to finish the group stage at the very bottom of the table, but this means that there’s absolutely no pressure on their players, which can be a good thing.
Possible Lineups
France:
Lloris – Umtiti, Varane, Sidibé, Mendy – Tolisso, Kante, Pogba – Griezmann, Dembélé, Mbappe
Australia:
Ryan – Degenek, Sainsbury, Risdon, Behich – Jedinak, Rogic, Mooy, Luongo, Cahill – Leckie
France vs. Australia Match Prediction
Everything but an easy France win would be a big surprise in this game. As mentioned, odds on France are pretty low, so better go with Asian Handicap, as France are likely to beat the Aussies with a large goal difference. Alternatively, you can also bet on a large number of goals on the match.
France vs. Australia Betting Tips
- France AH -1.5 @1.72 (bet365)
- France AH -2.5 @2.95 (Unibet)
- Over 2.5 Goals @1.80 (bet365)
- Over 3.5 Goals @3.05 (Unibet)