World Cup Round of 16: France vs Argentina (June 30)

The first match in the round of 16 from the 2018 World Cup is set for Saturday, as France, winners of Group C, take on Argentina, the runners-up from Group D. France won the group with a pair of wins and a draw, taking seven out of nine points, while Argentina needed a 2-1 win over Nigeria in the group play finale to get to four points and take the second spot, thanks to an 86th-minute goal and a handball of their own in the penalty area that both the officials on the field and VAR apparently failed to spot. Take a look at our World Cup betting insight into this match between two titans, France vs Argentina

World Cup Round of 16: France vs Argentina (June 30)

With Saturday’s round-of-16 duel with @Argentina fast approaching, the focus level at today’s training session in Istra was intense! 💪😓#Fiersdetrebleus #WorldCup #FRAARG pic.twitter.com/05ffW581XJ

— French Team (@FrenchTeam) June 27, 2018

When: Saturday, June 30, 2018, 10:00am ET Where: Kazan Arena, Kazan, Russia TV: FOX Radio: None Live Stream: fuboTV 2018 World Cup Odds: France +130 / Draw +225 / Argentina +217

Why should you bet on France?

France had two wins and a draw in their group play matches, and while their match against Denmark was not impressive, it did not need to be, as Les Bleus needed just one point from the match to win the group. France took charge of the action, possessing for almost two-thirds of the game and outshooting Denmark (11-5, 4-1 on target). They took advantage of a Danish side that relies on size and physicality to grind down the opposition to win. It is true that France has never beaten Argentina, with an 0-4 all-time record that dates back to 1930. Argentina has won the four contests by a combined score of 6-1. However, Argentina looked like they had to give 120% just to get by Nigeria in that group play finale, and beyond Lionel Messi, Argentina simply does not have a lot of offensive options. France is a young team, but they are getting speed and finesse — and they are getting finishes. When they need to lock down on defense, they are getting that done as well.

Why should you bet on Argentina?

Argentina does have momentum going into this game thanks to that win over Nigeria. Lionel Messi scored his 100th World Cup goal in the 14th minute against Nigeria, taking a pass off his thigh and turning to accelerate and finish. While France also has talented players up front, Messi is a special player when it comes to creating scoring chances and finishing at the net. One reason why Argentina looked so lost against Iceland and Croatia was that Messi spent a lot of time off to one side, not taking part in the offense, perhaps frustrated by man-marking, but still failing to produce. That changed against Nigeria, and France must take notice. Argentina also has the momentum of that late goal against Nigeria, as Marcos Rojo tallied in the 86th minute to take the three points and send Nigeria home. In the game, Argentina possessed for two thirds of the game and led the Nigerians in shots on target (4-3). However, Argentina had to use all of their best players at full effort to beat Nigeria, while France rested some of their key players in the draw against Denmark.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Argentina made a thrilling run to the final at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, finally losing to Germany with a chance to take home first place. However, the team looks to have aged significantly since then, with Messi surrounded by a bunch of players who cannot deliver the same sort of help they brought him in South America. There’s a reason why this team almost failed to qualify for the World Cup, and it’s the same reason why they won’t make it to the quarterfinals — they simply need to reload and rebuild. I predict a final score of France 2, Argentina 1, as Les Bleus move to the quarterfinals.