France VS Iceland Match Prediction
2019-03-25
19:45:00
France
VS
Iceland
Our Prediction Tip
France will win this match.
2019-03-2519:45:00 France will win this match.
France have played Iceland 13 times before, and Les Bleus have yet to be beaten by their much smaller counterparts. They have four draws, including one is October, and nine wins. The match in October ended 2-2. Prior to that, they met in the 2016 Euros, with France winning 5-2 that day.
Bet365 have the following odds available for this match:
France are at 2/11 to win, a draw is at 11/2, and an Iceland win is at 14/1.
After the first round of games in Group H play, France are right where you would think they’d end up: on top of the pile. They lead Iceland and Turkey on goal difference at this early stage, and a win in this match would be huge for either team as it could create a gap over some of the other teams already. This is really a three-team group in all honesty, so anything gotten by Iceland on the road would be a big bonus to them in their quest to make it to three straight major tournaments.
There isn’t much more to say about France. They are World champions after a nearly flawless run in Russia that saw them put the past behind them. There were no arguments held behind closed doors or foolish tactical decisions. It was all about utilizing their talent to its fullest, and they did that in spades. In the past year, they have 13 wins, four draws, and a loss to the credit. The only defeat came in the UEFA Nations League at the hands of the Netherlands. That loss end up resigning them to a second place spot in that tournament, meaning they won’t be in the inaugural finals of it. It does, however, mean they didn’t suffer the embarrassment of relegation like Germany did.
Iceland, meanwhile, are on the opposite end of the spectrum to France. After doing so well in the last Euros and then making it to Russia fairly easily, they have since fallen apart. They lacked quality in a big way once they go to the World Cup last summer, and they have kept up the poor form since being dumped out in the group stages. In their last year of action, they have just one win, six draws and eight losses in a horrific turn of fortunes. They finished dead last in their Nations League group, suffering relegation after gathering zero points. They had drawn three straight matches before winning at Andorra, but those came against lesser opposition, so things are not looking great like they were a couple of years back for them.
No for both teams scoring is at ½ via Ladbrokes.
France to be up at both half and full time is at 1.66 at Betfair.
France might find it hard to find motivation after sealing the World Cup with so many young stars, but this match should really be a stroll in the park. Iceland have lost its bearings, and they’ll be made to pay for it in Saint-Denis.
Didier Deschamps looks like he could name the same side as he did on Friday night yet again here as he looks to put his team out ahead of the rest of the pack by putting six points on the board early on. Big name stars that are not in the team, due to injuries, include Anthony Martial, Ousmane Dembele, Alexandre Lacazette, Corentin Tolisso, Benjamin Mendy, and Lucas Hernandez.
Just as you’d expect, Antoine Griezmann began his Euro campaign with yet another fine showing away to Moldova. The Atletico man, who is posturing for a move away from the club, scored the opener and then had an assist just three minutes later to all but put it to bed in the early moments. Paul Pogba was the man responsible for setting up the opener, and the Manchester United playmaker is showing just the difference a change in tactics as club level can make. Expect him to keep being a key figure, especially with the French team, given he has much less pressure on him.
France have three wins, a loss, and a draw in their last five matches:
1-4 win at Moldova
1-0 home win vs Uruguay (Fri)
2-0 loss at Netherlands (UNL)
2-1 home win vs Germany (UNL)
2-2 home draw vs Iceland (Fri)
Erik Hamren will also be expected to keep with the team he played on Friday, though he is likely to play them in a much more defensive manner with everyone behind the ball except on set pieces and the rare counter attack. Midfielder Olafur Skulason has retired from the side, while fellow mid Emil Hallfredsson and striker Jon Bodvarsson are out with injuries.
Given the form he has been in for club side Everton, it’s a surprise to see that Gylfi Sigurdsson was not one of the goal scorers for Iceland on Friday night in their win over Andorra. The attacking midfield man will find chances on the ball limited here, but his quality is unmatched among his peers and will be vital if they are to secure anything. Going forward, Birkir Bjarnson is going to be tasked with an unenviable task, but that task is also crucial. He scored against Andorra, giving the Aston Villa man 11 international goals now.
Iceland have a win, three draws, and a loss in their last five matches:
0-2 win at Andorra
0-0 home draw vs Estonia (Fri)
2-2 draw at Sweden (Fri)
2-2 draw at Qatar (Fri)
2-0 loss at Belgium (UNL)
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