Could France miss the World Cup?
World Cup Odds: France vs. Ukraine betting preview
France is favored to win against Ukraine Tuesday, but can they score enough goals to advance to World Cup 2014 in Brazil?
Ian Walton
Les Bleus are in danger of not making the big event for the first time since 1994 after their 2-0 loss to Ukraine in the first leg of their European qualifying tie. They head home as the major favorite in the second leg, but they have a ton of pressure on them
As of Monday, sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com had France posted as a solid favorite at -225 with Ukraine at +800 and a draw line at +350. The line had moved slightly in early wagering at 5Dimes.eu.
Franck Ribéry was closely marked in the first leg with Ukraine playing solid defense on him. The Bayern Munich star will be counted on to ignite his team’s attack against a Ukraine side that is brimming with confidence and has six clean sheets in their last six qualifying matches.
Ukraine lost the possession battle in the first leg, but had the better scoring chances. They cannot be timid in this match against an attacking French squad that is in desperation mode.
Midfielder Edmar set up the first goal in the match and his playmaking will be key again.
[ See current World Cup odds and full matchup details on all World Cup qualifiers Tuesday ]
The French have the talent with the likes of Ribéry, Samir Nasri, and Olivier Giroud, but can they overcome a 2-0 deficit? Another big question is whether French head coach Didier Deschamps will leave Karim Benzema on the bench in favor of Olivier Giroud again.
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