International Friendly: Les Bleus Must Remember the France of World Cup!

France vs Uruguay

Didier Deschamps and his French team defeated Uruguay in the World Cup 2018 quarter-final, but they know they can’t expect the same result when they play again. Not after their recent performance anyway.

France may be the world champions, but it appears they are not their usual selves after losing to the Netherlands in their recent game. The overall outlook doesn’t seem good as well, with the Frenchmen winning just twice in their last five.

Their meeting with Uruguay is just an international friendly, but Les Bleus could really use a win right now and end their final game of 2018 with a bang.

Talking Points

While France haven’t been at their best—as proven by their goalless draw with Germany in the UEFA Nations League opener and friendly stalemate with Iceland—it became more evident when they lost to the Netherlands 2-0.

Les Bleus were not only defeated, but they were also outclassed and were always in the back foot against a far superior and more clinical Holland team.

Most fans will blame the injuries to key players for the champions’ latest misfortune. Defenders Samuel Umtiti (knee), Lucas Hernandez (knock) and Benjamin Mendy (knee) were all unavailable due to injuries, while midfielder Paul Pogba also missed the game due to a thigh issue.

Missing three key defenders was already a blow to the team, and the absence of Pogba made it worst as they sorely missed his creativity and spark in the midfield.

However, as Deschamps said, the team cannot take “refuge behind the absences.” They simply failed to meet the requirements in playing “high level” football.

Indeed, Deschamps and Co. failed to step up when it mattered most. Both Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann were non-impactful, with the former even isolated and neutralised in the game. The team also lacked aggressiveness and was seemingly satisfied taking the back seat—something you won’t expect from a championship team.

If there is one positive that France can take from the game, it’s Hugo Lloris who showed no signs of slowing down. The Netherlands could have won by more, but the Tottenham Hotspur skipper made nine saves to prevent further embarrassment for France.

It remains to be seen how Deschamps will adjust his lineup after the loss. His game calling has been put under the microscope, so while international friendly 2018 results won’t matter that much, it might be different for the 50-year-old manager this time.

Uruguay haven’t had a good run as well, losing three straight games against South Korea, Japan and Brazil. Nevertheless, they will be more than willing to take advantage of France’s struggles to get their revenge.

International Friendly: Luis Suarez and company suffer a 1-0 defeat to Brazil — Uruguay striker Luis Suarez in action with Brazil’s Renato Augusto

Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are both available for the South American side, and there’s no better time and place for them to score than in this game. Who wouldn’t want the glory and bragging rights that come with taking down the champs?

History

Fixtures between these two nations have a history of being exciting and tight.

France did win against Uruguay 0-2 in the World Cup (behind goals from Raphael Varane and Griezmann), but that was the team’s biggest winning margin against the South American side in their history.

In fact, prior to World Cup 2018, four of their last five meetings ended up in a goalless stalemate. In the 2002 World Cup, France’s only point in the group stage came against the Uruguayans. On the other hand, in the 2010 instalment of the quadrennial affair, La Celeste only dropped points against the European powerhouse.

Overall, the two teams have two wins each and four draws. Uruguay last won against France in a friendly in 2013, thanks to a 50th-minute Luis Suarez goal.

One interesting tidbit about their head-to-head record: France have never won in an international friendly against Uruguay.

Betting Tip

	France vs Uruguay	1X2 Draw @ 3.60
	November 21, 04:00 (GMT+8)

Well, Uruguay’s losing skid doesn’t help their chances in this game. The International Friendly 2018 odds have France as the easy favourite, with Asian Handicap betting at SBOBET giving Uruguay a huge plus handicap just to even the playing field.

However, I beg to differ on this one. While Uruguay’s recent performances and results aren’t encouraging, their display against Brazil showed they are slowly regaining their form. They played with plenty of passion, and that should count for something here.

Home-court advantage will give France some edge, but there are still plenty of question marks that only the game can answer.

I think the two teams will score, but I predict it will finish in a draw—perhaps 1-1.