France will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina when they visit Ukraine in World Cup qualifying on Saturday.
The reigning world champions were frustrated by Bosnia on Wednesday, although they still find themselves four points clear at the top of Group D.
Game over at the Stade de la Meinau (1-1) ⚽️@AntoGriezmann the goalscorer for Les Bleus #FRABOS #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/CXCpdMUouR— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) September 1, 2021
Game over at the Stade de la Meinau (1-1) ⚽️@AntoGriezmann the goalscorer for Les Bleus #FRABOS #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/CXCpdMUouR
Meanwhile, Ukraine were held to a 2-2 draw by Kazakhstan in midweek. As a result, they sit second in Group D – four points behind France.
In fact, the Ukrainians have drawn all four of their World Cup qualifiers – including 1-1 draw with France on Matchday 1.
They also sit on an even goal difference, having scored five goals and conceded five goals throughout the campaign.
When you look at the bigger picture, Ukraine have only managed to win three of their last 15 matches across all competitions inside 90 minutes.
After edging out Sweden after extra-time in the Euro 2020 round of 16, Ukraine were crushed 4-0 by England in the quarter-finals.
It is worth pointing out that six of Ukraine’s previous seven games in all competitions have produced over 2.5 goals.
France, on the other hand, were held to a 1-1 draw by Bosnia on Wednesday, with Antoine Griezmann cancelling out Edin Dzeko’s opener.
Despite edging both the possession and passing stats, Jules Kounde’s 51st-minute red card made life difficult for Les Blues.
Still, Didier Deschamps’ men have only conceded two goals in four qualifiers and will be confident of frustrating a low-scoring Ukraine outfit.
France actually head into Saturday’s clash on a four-game winless streak, having lost to Switzerland on penalties in the Euro 2020.
That said, Les Blues haven’t lost any of their previous 12 matches across all competitions inside 90 minutes.
Head-to-head: In 11 meetings between the teams, Ukraine have only managed to beat France on one occasion over the years.
France have recorded six wins and four draws against Ukraine, with their most recent meeting ending in 1-1 draw.
Team news: Jules Kounde will be suspended for Saturday’s match following his red card in midweek. N’Golo Kante could come into the starting XI after sitting on the bench last time out.
Ukraine will be without Artem Dovayk through injury, while Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has tested positive for coronavirus.
We all know that France boast a far stronger squad than Ukraine, but the Ukrainians were able to frustrate the world champions in the reverse fixture.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Ukraine will secure another draw against France this weekend, using the backing of their home crowd.