It is time for the international break as the World Cup qualifiers take center stage over the next week. Thursday features a marquee matchup as the Netherlands heads to France for an important Group A showdown.
What To Know About The Netherlands
The Netherlands are third in Group A on 10 points, which is only three behind leaders Sweden and France (Sweden are ahead on goal difference), but only one ahead of Bulgaria, who host Sweden on Thursday. Robin van Persie earned a recall for the team and is a part of a senior group that includes Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, all of whom are 33 or 34 years old. But the hopes of the Butch could rest with the younger players, particularly 23-year-old Memphis Depay. He had a solid debut season at Lyon and his mix of power and pace could be a huge spark for the Netherlands, who missed out on Euro 2016 after finishing third at the 2014 World Cup. Also, keep an eye on 25-year-old Quincy Promes, who plays for Sparta Moscow and has three goals in qualifying to lead the team.
What To Know About France
The French are the most talented team in the group from front to back, but perhaps they needed their 2-1 loss in Sweden in their last qualifier to wake them up. Take your pick from the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Alexandre Lacazette up front, and then you have 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud. In midfield, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante should dominate, but 21-year-old Thomas Lemar and Blaise Matuidi can start as well. Even with Raphael Varane out, the defense should be fine and Hugo Lloris is solid at the back. But in Sweden, they played very tentative and unsure of themselves, and that has to change at home in this game because if they play their best, there are few teams in the world that can hang with France, much less in this group. Four players have scored twice for France in World Cup qualifiers: Pogba, Griezmann, Dimitri Payet and Kevin Gameiro. The last two didn’t make the cut this time, which shows France’s depth.
Outlook
The French are favored at home at -182, while the Netherlands come in at +650 and a draw is rated at +300. The head-to-head matchup has been close throughout history as France has 11 wins to 10 for the Netherlands in their 25 meetings, with four ending in a draw. Pogba netted a first-half winner as the French won 1-0 last October in Amsterdam, but the Dutch didn’t back down and gave France a battle. They have the experience going forward to trouble the French if Robben and van Persie play as they can, but France should be able to control the midfield and that would give them the edge in the game. Both of these teams need a win for different reasons, and after a cagey beginning, the game should open up for what should be a very intriguing matchup.
World Cup Qualifying Pick: France
Looking for the latest betting lines on the World Cup Qualifying action? Play Shangrila has odds on all of the games.
