After delivering back-to-back international clean sweeps in midweek, SlipsTips shares his favourite fancy from Saturday's batch of World Cup qualifiers.
Ukraine vs France (Saturday, 19:45)
Ukraine have made a solid start to World Cup qualifying but they face the stern test of taking on the reigning world champions France in Kiev on Saturday night.
Andriy Shevchenko steered his nation to a trio of Group D draws before resigning from his position as manager after reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2020.
Oleksandr Petrakov remains in caretaker charge but his hopes of landing the post on a permanent basis were dealt a blow after a 2-2 draw with Kazakhstan in midweek.
France were also held to a surprise stalemate in their first game after Euro 2020, as 10-man Les Bleus slumped to a 1-1 draw with Bosnia on Wednesday night.
Didier Deschamps' star-studded side are heavily fancied to bounce back here at a general 4/7 but I'm going to swerve the outright betting and instead dip into the cards market.
Over 3 Asian Cards in Kiev has been chalked up at 5/6 with Bet 365 and that looks like an attractive betting proportion.
Here we'd be paid out if four or more cards are flashed whilst our stake would be refunded if exactly three cards are awarded during this tussle between the top two teams in World Cup qualification Group D.
As already alluded to, the French were shown a red card against Bosnia on Wednesday but it's also worth noting that three of France's last four meaningful matches have featured four or more bookings.
Ukraine, on the other hand, shared four cards with Kazakhstan last time out and with that in mind, coupled with the state of play in the section, I suspect sparks could fly in front of a partisan NSC Olimpiyskiy crowd on Saturday night.
What's more, referee Slavko Vincic is the man in the middle for this crunch qualifier, an appointment which caught my eye as the Slovenian whistler flashed 11 yellows and two reds across each of the the two Champions League qualifiers that he took charge of last month.
Recommended Bet
- Over 3 Asian Cards– 5/6 (Bet 365)
Freelance Sports Writer and Betting Analyst with over five years experience. I’ve written football and darts betting content for some of the biggest betting websites and newspapers in the UK. With a strong passion for the fascinating world of Scottish football, I also regularly feature in Nutmeg, the much-loved Scottish football magazine. Falkirk season ticket holder and avid watcher of football and darts, whether it be UK-based or further afield. Feel free to follow me on X @SlipsTips
