World Cup Qualifier – Ukraine vs France: Betting Preview

Reigning champions France pay a visit to Ukraine on Saturday for their latest 2022 World Cup qualifier.

A table-topping clash awaits in Group D, with France holding a four-point lead at the top. Les Bleus have bagged eight points from four games to hold a comfortable lead at the group table. That said, Ukraine can cut that gap to a single point by winning the showdown in Kiev.

The hosts are usually tough to crack down but stumbled in their first game since Andriy Shevchenko’s departure as manager. They conceded a rare two goals in a 2-2 draw with Kazakstan last week. Each of France’s last four games, meanwhile, have ended in draws at the end of 90 minutes.

Let’s have a look at the form of both sides and the stats from their previous encounters to come up with a reasonable betting prediction.

Stats and analysis

Ukraine have struggled in the goal department. In their last 10 World Cup qualifiers, the Blue and Yellow hit the target 1.1 times on average per game, scoring 11 goals along the way. They also conceded a total of 11 goals, an average of 1.1 per game, as they held on for a clean sheet in 2 of those matches.

Despite their talented attacking options, France haven’t been very prolific either. Les Bleus have found the back of the net 16 times in the last 10 World Cup qualifiers, creating an average of 1.6 goals per game. However, they were solid in defense, with only 6 goals conceded, which is a highly respectable average of 0.6 per game. They managed to keep 5 clean sheets in of these matches.

World Cup Stats and facts for Ukraine vs France.

Fun stats Ukraine

• Ukraine did not win the last 5 matches in a row;
• Ukraine unbeaten the last 4 matches in a row;
• Ukraine did not win the last 3 matches in a row at home;
• Total goals was UNDER 3.5 in Ukraine’s last 9 of 11 matches.

Fun stats France

• France unbeaten the last 15 matches in a row;
• France has won the last 3 matches in a row when playing away;
• France unbeaten the last 5 matches in a row when playing away;
• France has won in the last 4 of 5 matches when playing away.

Form Ukraine vs France

Ukraine hoping for a fresh start.

While tough to break down, Ukraine will be eager to turn one of their many draws into a win. In their previous 3 matches, Oleksandr Petrakov’s side experienced a 2-1 win against Sweden and went on to a 4-0 defeat against England. Their latest match served up a 2-2 draw against Kazakhstan.

France looking for more.

Results have been pretty much up to scratch in recent matches for France who have performed more or less according to expectations. In their previous 3 matches, Didier Deschamps’ side experienced a 2-2 draw with Portugal and went on to a 3-3 draw against Switzerland. Their latest match served up a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Ukraine vs France Fixture History

The most recent outing in the World Cup between Ukraine and France took place in October 2020. The match failed to produce a winner with the score reading 1-1 after the final whistle. In the last 9 meetings of these teams, an advantage was formed on the side of France, and these matches were also remembered for a large number of goals. All in all, the visitors have had a fine reading on their opponents in the World Cup with a 6-2-1 advantage going into this match.

Top goalscorer

Ukraine will hope Roman Yarechuk can find the back of the net once again. He scored his last time out to take his tally up to 3 goals in 6 appearances. It is tempting to look for Karim Benzema to shine once again for France, as he has bagged braces in 2 of his last 3 games.