France can take a massive step towards securing their place in next year’s World Cup Finals in Russia with a win over Luxembourg on Sunday, with Didier Deschamps’ men coming off the back of a fine victory over the Netherlands. Their opponents sit rock-bottom of Group A, having lost five of their seven qualifying encounters to date.
World Cup 2018 Qualifying – Stadium Municipal, Toulouse – Sunday 3rd September – 19:45 UK Time
Match Preview
Having lost out in the final of Euro 2016 in front of their home fans, France have quickly recovered in order to dominate their qualifying group, not finding themselves three points clear of closest rivals Sweden. The home side are the overwhelming favourites to defeat minnows Luxembourg, with their star-studded squad heading to Toulouse on Sunday with one foot already in the Finals.
France Team News & Form
Deschamps has led France to five wins from seven to date, with their only group defeat coming against Sweden back in June. A 4-0 victory over Holland on Thursday night demonstrates the gap in class between themselves and their rivals, with players such as Paul Pogba, Thomas Lemar and Antoine Griezmann having shined in Paris. Elsewhere, having secured a move to PSG from rivals Monaco at the end of the transfer window, Kylian Mbappe could well start against Luxembourg, having scored against the Dutch after coming off the substitutes bench late on. Deschamps could well look to make full use of his squad this weekend, with the likes of Adrien Rabiot, Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso all vying for starts. Having scored 15 goals during qualifying, conceding just five, France are looking in ominously good form, with just three games now remaining.
Luxembourg Team News & Form
Head Coach Luc Holtz undoubtedly has one of the most difficult jobs in football, with Luxembourg having struggled throughout qualifying, collecting just one win so far, coming against Belarus on Thursday night. Despite undoubtedly gaining confidence from such a victory, the visitors face a massive test against France, with the majority of their playing plying their trade in lower leagues across Europe. Striker Daniel Da Mota scored the crucial goal against Belarus, with the likes of Lars Gerson, Chris Phillips and Laurent Jans among their most recognised players. The away side have the worst defensive record in Group A, conceding a massive 17 goals from their seven matches.
Head to Head
France won the duo’s previous Group A meeting back in March, with Olivier Giroud finding the back of the net twice in a 3-1 win. With Luxembourg’s only ever victory over France coming back in 1914, this should tell you something about their chances this weekend. The two teams have met three times since 2010, with France coming out on top comfortably on each occasion.
Betting Odds and Predictions
With France being offered odds of 1/100 to claim three points at William Hill, those looking to place a bet on this match are going to have to look at more diverse markets. Firstly, backing France to win both the first and second half will quickly see the odds become more appealing, with the same bookmakers offering odds of 1/10 here. Meanwhile, banking on the second half being the one with the most goals is worthwhile also, with 10Bet offering odds of 10/11 here.
Top Betting Tip
Our top betting tip for the match is to bet on there being an even number of goals scored during the 90 minutes, which can be found at best odds of 10/11 at 10Bet.