France vs England is arguably the most exciting matchup of the quarterfinal phase of the 2022 World Cup. Oddsmakers see the reigning world champions as favorites, albeit only slight favorites, with the odds of +140.
The probable reason is that England are the only World Cup side that still hasn’t lost a single match in Qatar. The three Lions are coming off a big 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16. France too did well in the first round of the knockout phase, beating Poland 3-1. Knowing all this, one thing is certain – England vs France is going to be a real barnburner.
England vs France Odds
Match-Winner
| England | +200 |
| Draw | +225 |
| France | +140 |
Goals Over/Under
| Over 2.5 | +110 |
| Under 2.5 | -137 |
*Odds taken from bet365 on Thursday, December 8.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar
- Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
- Time: 2:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: FOX/Telemundo
Kylian Mbappe in the Spotlight
France are through to the World Cup quarterfinals mostly thanks to Kylian Mbappe. The PSG forward has been sensational since coming to Qatar, scoring five goals already and recording two assists.
The 23-year-old had no other option but to step up as France are missing a number of key players including Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, and N’Golo Kante.
Mbappe has been in terrific form in the final third, but he will need to help out his teammates from the midfield on Saturday. The thing is that France are a bit soft in the middle, which is something England will want to take advantage of.
England Ready for a Midfield Battle
To knock out France out of the World Cup, the Three Lions need to figure out a way to stop Mbappe. That’s why we expect Gareth Southgate to put Kyle Walker in the starting XI. The pacey Manchester City defender should be in the right-back position so that he could lead a battle with Mbappe on that side on the pitch.
We also expect to see ball-winning midfielders Jude Bellingham and Jordan Henderson in the middle of the pitch. This way, England should be able to dominate possession, keeping the ball far away from their goal.
Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden will probably be England’s playmakers on Saturday, with the job of creating goal chances for skipper Harry Kane.
France vs England Prediction
England are better than France in the midfield, and they probably have a better defense as well. The problem is that even the best defense in the world is bound to struggle against Mbappe. Still, if Walker does his job well, we might not see the French forward get into too many goal chances. Will this be enough for England to get a win in normal time?
Perhaps not, but we do think the Three Lions can take the game to extra time and possibly even to penalties. If that happens, it’s really the time for England to beat someone by a penalty shootout.
Picks: England to advance to the semifinals