Tournament favourites France will look to seal their passage through to the World Cup quarter-finals as they take on Paraguay at the Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday night.
France began their World Cup campaign with a poor first-half performance against Senegal, but since then they have been sensational.
Despite being drawn in the ‘group of death’ alongside Norway and Senegal – as well as Iraq – Didier Deschamps’s charges breezed through Group I, winning all three matches, scoring 10 goals in the process.
Les Blues then sealed their passage into the Round of 16 with another stellar performance, as they proved to be far too strong for Sweden, winning by three goals to nil.
Paraguay endured a nightmare start to their tournament, as they were thrashed 4-1 by co-hosts the USA.
However, Gustavo Alfaro’s men bounced back with a smash-and-grab against Turkiye, before playing out a goalless draw with Australia to finish as one of the best third-placed sides.
La Albirroja once again showed their defensive resilience in the last round by defeating Germany on penalties after a 1-1 draw, but knocking the tournament favourites on Saturday night would be a far bigger shock.
How the bookies view it: France clear favourites
It will come as no surprise that France are clear favourites to progress to the quarter-finals, with bet365 pricing Les Blues at just 1/14 To Qualify, whilst the win inside 90 minutes is 2/11.
Paraguay are 8/1 underdogs to reach the quarter-finals for just the second time in their history, whilst the win inside regulation time is an even bigger 14/1.
More match odds are available on our best mobile apps for World Cup betting.
Head to head: History favours the French
These two nations have met twice previously at the World Cup finals, with the first meeting coming in the group stages in Sweden in 1958, with France winning 7-3 thanks to an inspired Just Fontaine.
The most recent meeting was far closer, as a Laurent Blanc strike in extra time gave France a 1-0 victory in the Round of 16 on route to winning their first World Cup crown on home soil.
Players to watch: More Mbappe magic?
Kylian Mbappe got the breakthrough right on the stroke of halftime against Sweden in the Round of 32 for France, before clinching the victory for Les Blues by putting them three goals ahead.
The Real Madrid superstar has also bagged a double against both Senegal and Iraq this tournament, and he is an appealing 3/1 at bet365 to Score Two or More Goals for the fourth time in North America this summer.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Predicted line-ups:
Diego Gomez returns from suspension for Paraguay, but Julio Enciso is a doubt.
France appear to have no new injury or suspension concerns following their win over Sweden.
Paraguay: Gill, Caceres, G Gomez, Canale, Alonso, Almiron, D Gomez, Cubas, Galarza, Avalos, Enciso
France: Maignan, Kounde, Upamecano, T Hernandez, Tchouameni, Rabiot, Dembele, Olise, Barcola, Mbappe
Anything else catch the eye?
Paraguay have already sprung a surprise by knocking out Germany in the previous round, but it would be an even bigger surprise if they knocked out the French.
There’s no question about it, France have been the standout team so far in North America this summer, with Didier Deschamps’ men firing in 13 goals across their opening four matches, conceding just twice.
Les Blues are just 2/11 to win inside 90 minutes, but you can boost that price to a more backable 3/4 by combining it with Kylian Mbappe to score.
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