France head into this clash with Ivory Coast carrying the weight of recent World Cup heroics where they reached the final twice in a row. The boys in blue have been in red hot form lately and fans across the stands expect nothing less than a strong showing from Didier Deschamps side. Their qualifying campaign was smooth with five wins and just one draw while the attack kept firing at least two goals every game night. Recent friendlies against Brazil and Colombia showed they are ready with solid wins that boosted team morale ahead of bigger tests.
Team Form
France have looked unstoppable in their last few outings and the squad depth is something to admire with stars like Mbappe leading the charge. On the other side Ivory Coast topped their group in qualifiers but it was a close call with Gabon just a point behind them all the way. The African side reached only the quarterfinals at the recent AFCON where Egypt ended their run with a clean 2-0 win leaving questions about their finishing touch.
- France scored at least two goals in every game during qualifiers
- Ivory Coast have zero wins in three friendlies against France
- Deschamps men beat strong South American sides in March warm ups
Tactical Analysis
France like to press high and use their speedy forwards to stretch defenses which often leads to open games with plenty of chances at both ends. Ivory Coast tend to sit back and rely on counter attacks but their defense has shown cracks against top teams lately. The matchup history favors the Europeans who have never lost to the Elephants with two wins and a draw so far making it tough for the visitors to spring a surprise here.
With both sides likely to go for it in patches the game could open up after the break allowing more goal mouth action. France strengths lie in their midfield control and set piece delivery while Ivory Coast will need to shore up their backline to avoid early concessions.
Betting Proposal
Given the attacking talent on show and France record of hitting the net often this looks like a game where goals will flow. Ivory Coast may try to defend deep but their recent form suggests they could leak a few while trying to hit back on the break. The smart money is on a high scoring affair that plays into the hands of over bettors.
France and Ivory Coast to score three goals or more. Over 2.5 goals at odds of 1.65.
