The fantastic Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow is the venue for the 2018 FIFA World Cup final where France take on Croatia at 18:00 local time on Sunday 15th June.
France have turned on the style in recent games while Croatia have needed at least extra time in all three knockout games, will this have taken its toll on the Croats? We do not have long to wait to find out.
France have won eight of t heir last 10 competitive matches and should make that figure increase to nine in 11 by the time they have played Croatia.
Croatia have played an additional 90 minutes compared to France plus had to deal with two penalty shootouts while France have reached the final without really showing their full potential. France should brush Croatia aside with relevant ease and do so within the first 90 minutes.
France vs Croatia Key Bites
France are odds on favorites to win what would be their second World Cup title in three final appearances and it is easy to see why. The French have been excellent in the knockout stages, yet you feel there is much more to come from this talented squad.
Croatia looked troubled against England’s attack in the first half of their semi-final clash, so how they will cope with France’s forwards remains to be seen. Kylian Mbappe, who has three goals, looks unstoppable when he is in full flow, while the experienced Antoine Griezmann, another player with three goals, has been one of the stars of the tournament. It’s worth noting that France has won 18 and drawn two of the 20 games in which Griezmann has scored.
Didier Deschamps has managed to tighten up his defense despite the firepower at his disposal. They may have conceded three goals against Argentina, but the French have kept back-to-back clean sheets and have recorded shutouts in four of their last five fixtures.
This could be an easy final for France.
Croatia go into their first World Cup final with nothing to lose and that should work in their favor as there will be much less pressure to deal with than the French players. However, all three of Croatia's games have needed extra time to complete and this means they have played 90 minutes more than France, which is a full game more.
Luka Modric was given too much space by England in the semi-final and he was allowed to dictate play. Modric will not be given an inch against France who will likely deploy N'Golo Kante in a man marking role and there is nobody better in world football at that role than Kante. To beat a monster you should cut off its head, marking Modric out of the game does exactly that.
Croatia's best chance would be to take the game into extra time. They are +190 to win the World Cup regardless of it being in 90-minutes, extra time or penalties. This compares to the -220 available with Bovada on France doing the same. Sadly, Croatia's odds are not enticing enough for us to part with a few dollars.
Category : Betting Picks
Tag : FIFA World Cup , Soccer
More articles...
