Archie Wilson shares his picks and plays for the Round of 32 clash between France and Sweden.
France, the most prolific attacking side in the world across club or country, are set to take on Sweden, who managed to squeak through the group stage and find their way to the Round of 32. Unfortunately for them, they are running into this absolute machine in France and will certainly have it all to do if they are going to force an upset.
To start off with the underdogs, you can’t go beyond their striking duo of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres. The Premier League pair are the talismans for Graham Potter’s side, and if they are going to make some noise, they will have to see plenty of the ball. The question for those two is whether they will be provided enough service to make a real impact on the game. Because it’s all well and good having prolific goalscorers, but when you can’t create chances for them, that threat is easily nullified.
Now over to France, who are deadly from all areas of the pitch and can create chaos in the blink of an eye from anywhere on the park. What makes them even scarier is that all their big names are in red-hot form, with Mbappe proving to be a handful already and Dembele oozing Ballon d’Or class coming off a hat-trick.
Rounding off here, it feels like Sweden are going to put up a real fight in this one, but the potent nature of this France team will just be too much to handle if they get it rolling.
Tips
Best Bet: France/France @ $1.75
Best Goalscorer: Ousmane Dembele ATS @ $1.87
Betcha Boost: Kylian Mbappe & Viktor Gyokeres Each Have 2+ Shots on Target @ $5.50
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