World Cup Predictions & Tips | Third Place Play-off: France v England

Match 103: France v England
Location: Miami Stadium
Time: 9:00am, Sunday 19 July
Head to Head: France Wins (10), England Wins (16), Draws (5)

Key Stats

• France has scored 2+ goals in 17 of their last 20 matches
• Over 2.5 goals is 13-3 in France last 16 games
• Both Teams To Score is 4-0 in England’s last 4 games
• Over 2.5 goals has hit in 11 of last 12 third place playoff games

Preview

Dealing with the devastation of a semi final defeat will not have been easy for either side but this is an opportunity to let their hair down and play football. France were outplayed in every facet of the game by Spain who were able to control the contest and prevent France’s attacking players from getting into dangerous positions. In contrast, England had one foot in the final after taking the lead early in the second half but stopped playing football and paid the price. They tried to put 11 bodies behind the ball for the last 30+ minutes and the pressure took a toll with Fernandez and Martinez getting on the end of Messi passes to win the game in regulation.

We will not see any of that here as the 3rd place game is historically very high scoring. Over 2.5 goals has hit in 11 of the last 12 third place games in this competition with have of those games producing 4+ total goals. A free-flowing game will suit the French as they have scored 2+ goals in 17 of their last 20 matches. Both teams to score has hit in each of England’s last four games – all of which were supposed to be tense knockout matches.

The most recent meeting between them came in the quarter finals of this tournament almost four years ago. France were 2-1 victors with Giroud finding a winner in the final 15 minutes of the game. The French have 4 wins and a draw in their last 6 clashes against England with just one loss in that stretch. Both teams to score is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings and is almost a certainty to occur again here. The duo of Mbappe and Kane are still in the hunt for the Golden Boot and this will be the type of game where individuals with talent will shine.

Player To Watch

Mbappe was a non-factor in the semi final as Spain did a fantastic job of cutting the supply to him. Four years ago, he walked away with the Golden Boot on the back of 8 goals in Qatar – one more than Messi. The two are currently tied on 8 but Messi holds the tiebreaker with four assists to the Frenchman’s three. He cannot walk away with the winner’s trophy but there is no doubt that he will be chasing goals in this one.

Betting Tips

Best Bet: Over 2.5 goals ($1.57)
Value: Over 4.5 goals ($4.00)
SGM: Both Teams To Score – YES, Mbappe 6+ Shots, 1st Half Over 1.5 goals