Getty Mbappe is the youngest of a young and dangerous French side.
The first two teams have punched their tickets to the final eight of the World Cup, and both are legitimate contenders. France are flying, fresh off a four-goal performance against Messi and Argentina. They take on Uruguay, who outlasted Ronaldo and Portugal with a tense 2-1 victory.
France vs. Uruguay: Date, Time & Location
France will take on Uruguay on July 6th at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. The match will kick off at 10 a.m. Eastern and air on Fox and Telemundo in the United States.
Neither team has appeared at this stadium thus far in the tournament. The stadium hosts the Round of 16 matchup between Croatia and Denmark, and this is the last match of the tournament at this particular venue.
France vs. Uruguay: Odds & Prediction
Opening odds for #URU vs #FRA from @betonline_ag:
Uruguay +210
France +101
Draw +215
Total: 2
In their display against Argentina, Les Bleus established themselves as a favorite to win it all in Russia. France entered the Knockout Phase priced at +850 to win the World Cup, and that number fell to +400 after the win.
Any team that attempts to defeat France will need to slow down Kylian Mbappe. The teenager scored twice in four minutes in the second half against Argentina, creating space with his exceptional speed.
The scoring of Mbappe took the highlights, but France thoroughly beat Argentina in the middle of the field. Paul Pogba finished with 80 percent passing accuracy against Argentina, and has been part of an outstanding two-way tandem with Chelsea man Ngolo Kante.
A key factor for France could be Olivier Giroud. While if the spotlight has shone brightly on the young strikers for France, Giroud is essential to France’s presence in the middle. Especially on set pieces, Giroud could prove his worth as the tournament progresses.
Uruguay has reached this point in the tournament with defense, but their world-class attacking talent was on display against Portugal. The real question is the health of Edinson Cavani, who left the match early with an apparent injury.
Uruguay allowed their first goal of the tournament against Portugal on a second half header from Pepe. Portugal had 20 shots and over 60 percent possession, but managed only five shots on goal. While it remains to be seen if they can withstand the weapons of France, they’ve earned their name shutting down the most talented teams in South America.
Uruguay, who opened the tournament at +2800 to win the tournament, have a real chance with Cavani healthy. He was the difference against Portugal, finishing two brilliant goals when Portugal were dominating possession. After the win over Portugal, that number went down to +1400.
In his post-match interview, Cavani said through a translator that he “felt something in his hamstring.” That’s all I need to hear.
Way Too Early Prediction: 2-1 France