The FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-final are here. France and Uruguay will clash in the first quarter-final match of World Cup 2018 on Friday. The Nizhny Novgorod Stadium will play host to the mouth-watering contest which is being touted as a clash between Uruguay’s steely defence against France’s free-flowing attacking football. Both teams are unbeaten heading into the match of former world champions. While Uruguay have won all their games and have conceded just the one goal so far, France knocked out Argentina in a spectacular Round of 16 clash. The latest of Uruguay’s three meetings with France at a FIFA World Cup took place at South Africa 2010 when the sides played out a goalless draw in Cape Town on June 11 that year.
OVERVIEW
The quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup get underway with a fascinating clash of styles between two teams laced with world-class players. Uruguay boast the joint meanest defence along with Brazil so far, having let in just a solitary goal in four games, while France, after an insipid start, threw off the shackles in some style to eliminate Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
Uruguay’s fearsome forward duo of Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani grab many of the headlines, but going into this match only Portugal’s Pepe had managed to breach La Celeste’s defence.
There is no doubt, though, that France will pose an altogether different test, especially now that they look to have found their attacking élan. Kylian Mbappe’s performance in the last 16 could turn out to be a seminal moment in his career. He became the first teenager since Pele in 1958 to score twice in a World Cup match.
Head-to-head
- Uruguay and France are facing each other for the fourth time at a World Cup, but for the first time in the knockout stage.
- The last two World Cup meetings have both ended 0-0 in the group stage in 2002 and 2010. Uruguay beat the French 2-1 in 1966.
- The Uruguayans won the last encounter 1-0 in June 2013. Luis Suarez scored the winner in a friendly in Montevideo.
- France’s only victory over Uruguay in eight previous matches was a 2-0 win in a friendly in Paris in August 1985.
Uruguay
- Uruguay could equal a national record by winning five consecutive games at a single World Cup. The last time they won their opening four games was in 1930, which was enough to win the tournament.
- They are aiming to make the semi-finals for a fifth time and for the second time in the last three tournaments.
- La Celeste have won their last two quarter-finals in 1970 and 2010. Their last defeat at this stage came in 1966 when they lost 4-0 to West Germany.
- Of Edinson Cavani’s 45 international goals, 12 have been assisted by Luis Suarez.
- Since 1966, only Poland’s Grzegorz Lato and Andrzej Szarmach and Germany’s Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose (both five) have combined for more World Cup goals than Cavani and Suarez’s four.
- Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera has kept three clean sheets in four games and has made a total of 10 saves so far.
France
- France are aiming to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2006.
- France progressed from four consecutive World Cup quarter-finals until losing to Germany at the 2014 tournament.
- They are unbeaten in their last nine World Cup matches against South American sides (W5, D4), keeping a clean sheet in seven of those games.
- Kylian Mbappe has scored three goals so far this tournament – he is the first teenager to score this many in a World Cup campaign since Pele netted six for Brazil in 1958.
- Only Pele and Germany’s Edmund Conen (four goals in 1934) have scored more as a teenager.
- Antoine Griezmann has scored six goals in his last five appearances in the knockout stage of major tournaments (World Cup and European Championship).
- But he has just two goals from 12 attempts in Russia so far and both were penalties.
- France are unbeaten in every game in which Griezmann has scored (W17, D2).
Team Comparison & History
PREDICTIONS
Uruguay 1-2 France: Both the teams have equal chances to go through this round. The match should offer a good balance of defence and attack as both the teams are very sound in those departments. France could just get an edge over their opponent due to the supreme talent possessed by them.
Predicted Line-up
Uruguay predicted line-up vs France
France predicted line-up vs Uruguay
