France’s chances at the World Cup 2018
After the near miss at Euro 2016, France will be looking for success over in Russia in the summer. They are going into the tournament as one of the stronger teams in the front-running pack and they have received a pretty decent draw for the group stage. So Les Bleus can work their way into the tournament. France are former World Cup winners having taken the title in 1998 on home soil with the famous 3-0 win over Brazil. They made it back to the Final in 2016 where they missed out on another title after failing in a penalty shootout against Italy.
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With a richly talented squad which is stacked with world-class players, can France put it all together this summer and get their hands on their second World Cup title? They are side that no one will want to go up against in the knockout stages. They look powerful and confident and have every chance of making a big impression in this summer’s tournament. France are 13/2 odds at bet365* (betting odds taken at 6:05 p.m. on May 18th, 2018) to win the 2018 World Cup.
Visit Bet365France World Cup 2018 Fixtures – Group Stage
France are the top seed in Group C for Russia 2018 and they should have a comfortable time of things in that group. Coming out of the hat to play alongside them in Group C were Australia, Peru and Denmark. France will play their opener in the tournament against Australia on June 16. That’s not a bad opener for the French against the industrious Socceroos and it gives grounds for them to ease their way into the tournament.
France will follow that up with a game against Peru on June 21. Getting relatively easy opening games of the tournament, that’s a huge benefit for a team. They may have to step it up a little bit in the final stage match which is against fellow Europeans in Denmark on June 26. Looking at the status of the group, Denmark will probably be looking to get something out of that game just to confirm what should be second place behind the French. However, it could actually boil down to being a group decider which would make fixture even more interesting.
France and Denmark last met in a 2015 friendly which the French won 2-1. That leaves France on a three-match winning streak against Denmark. Their last competitive match was at the 2002 World Cup and that was a game which Denmark won 2-0. France have won five of the last six meetings between two nations. Overall in the head-to-head France are 8-5 ahead with just the one drawn game. There should be a safe passage through to the round of 16 for the French at Russia 2018.
France Stage of Elimination
As it is highly unlikely that France will fall at the first hurdle you can start planning the knockout stage route. There could actually be really tough game for them in the round of 16 as they will play somebody from Group D and that means they could potentially go up against either Argentina or Croatia. Neither of those will be particularly easy games and it could be a big test of France’s temperament as well as patience. So after what could be a comfortable group stage campaign in France and will have to step it up immediately.
The French are 3/1 odds at bet365* (betting odds taken at 6:05 p.m. on May 18th, 2018) to be knocked out in the first knockout stage. If they were to get through that, there could be either Uruguay or Portugal in the quarter-finals that the French would have to go up against, so they aren’t going to get an easy path at the tournament. It could well even get tougher in the semi finals because waiting for them the would most likely be Brazil. So the French really will have their work cut out for them in the knockout stage of the competition and they are 10/3 odds with bet365* (betting odds taken at 6:05 p.m. on May 18th, 2018) to crash out at the quarter-finals.
France Top Goalscorer
Friends do have one of the top scorers in the world at their disposal and that is Antoine Griezmann. Their hopes will be resting on his more than capable shoulders so they are going to need him fit and in form to have a good run at the title. They do have good backups and depth in the attacking department but the bulk of the goals that France are going to get at the tournament are going to come from Griezmann who is the 2/1 odds-on favourite*(betting odds taken at 6:05 p.m. on May 18th, 2018) to finish as France’s top goalscorer. Other options include Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and Alexandre Lacazette.
Outright Odds* for the World Cup 2018
Brazil 4/1, Germany 9/2, Spain 6/1, France 13/2, Argentina 9/1, Belgium 11/1, England 18/1, Portugal 25/1, Uruguay 33/1, Croatia 33/1, bar 40/1* (Betting Odds taken at 5:27 p.m. on May 16th, 2018)
Predictions
France get an easy group stage campaign which is always nice as it allows a team to grow into the tournament and get used to the conditions. However they have a potentially tough path ahead of them and will come up against a good competitor as early as the round of 16. So that is going to limit the chances somewhat and as Brazil could be waiting in the final four then getting their hands on the trophy may be just too tough of a task for French this summer. While they have talents like Griezmann, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe and Dimitri Payet we are pencilling in for a semi-final exit which is at 7/2 with bet365* (betting odds taken at 6:05 p.m. on May 18th, 2018).
