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The clash between France and Peru will be played at Central Stadium in Yekaterinburg on June 21st. France didn’t impress in the opener but they got what they need and that is three points, so the Blues are now a step away from the knockout phase, while Peru must win to keep their Round of 16 hopes alive.
France vs. Peru
Three-Way: 1: France -182; X: +320 Draw; 2: Peru +600 (Odds provided by Delaware Park Sportsbook)
Spread -1: France +108; Peru -119
Total 2.5 goals: Over +104; Under -133
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The French managed to justify their role of big favorites at -400 with a 2-1 win over Australia, but their performance was far from pleasing, so all the punters who backed France to win with the -1.5 spread at -127 were left disappointed.
After a couple of goalscoring opportunities in the first half that ended scorelessly, the Blues got to a 1-0 lead thanks to Antoine Griezmann’s penalty that the VAR system awarded in the 58th minute. However, when everybody thought that France will have the open door to score a couple of more, Samuel Umtiti made an inexplicable error and handled the ball inside the box with no reason, and Mile Jedinak converted the penalty to make it 1-1. That was the Socceroos’s only shot on target but still enough to all of those who bet on both teams to score at +137.
An unfortunate own goal is conceded by Aziz Behich as he attempted to block the ball after a cross, but instead, he sends it under his own crossbar and Mathew Ryan couldn’t do anything about it in the 81st minute. A lucky moment for France and also the punters who had over 2.5 goals at -141.
On the other hand, Peru was very unlucky to lose 1-0 to Denmark after creating a bunch of chances, but the man of the match Kasper Schmeichel impressed with excellent saves and frustrated the Peruvians. The Incas were the better side for the entire tilt, but Christian Cueva’s missed penalty in the 45th minute obviously affected them, so their attacks in the second half produce nothing.
Denmark scored on the counter through Yussuf Poulsen in the 59th minute and defended well for the remainder of the game to make a profit for those who had them at +130. The odds on under 2.5 goals were quite low at -222, while, so you could make a solid amount of money only if you backed the Danish Dynamite to win.
Players to watch
Paul Pogba was a central figure in the opener as his through ball put Griezmann in the one-on-one situation when Atletico Madrid’s forward forced a penalty, while Pogba’s kick touched Behich who scored an own goal, so Man United’s midfielder got a hand in both France’s goals. He will be monitored once again against the Peruvians, and the entire nation is expecting big things from Pogba.
Paolo Guerrero didn’t get a start against Denmark but since he was introduced in the 62nd minute, the former Bayern Munich’s striker was a go-to guy and he troubled the Danish defense in a few occasions, so he should start now and pose a real threat to Hugo Lloris.
Probable Lineups:
France:Lloris; Pavard (Sidibe), Umtiti, Varane, Lucas (Mendy); Pogba, Kante, Tolisso (Matuidi); Dembele (Fekir), Griezmann, Mbappe (Giroud).
Peru:Gallese; Advincula, Rodriguez, Ramos, Trauco; Tapia, Yotun; Carillo, Cueva, Farfan; Guerrero.
Betting Prediction
France’s chances to lift the trophy in Russia are +800, while the Blues are -175 to make it to the quarter-finals. Peru’s chances to win the World Cup are up to +50000, while the Incas are +1200 to reach the quarter-finals.
France to win at -182 is not such a good option for the bettors who would like to double their stake while playing a draw at +320 or Peru to win at +600 is quite optimistic, so I would back goals on this one. Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score are at +100, and I am pretty sure the Peruvians will have a lot more luck than it was the case with Denmark, so I am going with the latter option.
The Pick: Both teams to score YES (+100)