When France and Switzerland come together on June 20th, it will be the 37th time in their respective histories that they will simultaneously stand on the same pitch together. France won its opening game 3-0 against a ten-man Honduras side while the Swiss needed a last second goal to get by Ecuador.
The French always bring with them the talent to go up and win against any team in the world. What they have also brought with them in recent times is a bad attitude, most recently at the 2010 World Cup. Things look to be different this time around though, as “Les Bleus” look bound to make a run deep into this tournament.
Starting in the back, France will most likely stay unchanged with Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane most likely being the anchor in the center of the defense. Keep at eye out for Manchester united defenseman Patrice Evra to move up and help with the attack, as he is one of the attacking defenseman in the world. Paul Pogba will surely add some muscle in the middle of the pitch, trying to slow the likes of Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri moving forward while attempting to unlock the Swiss defense with his pristine passing. His target up front will be Karim Benzema who has been in good form recently, adding two more goals to his international resume against Honduras.
It will be up to the Swiss to play up to their potential as France will most likely offer them a tougher test than was presented by the Ecuadorians. Captain Gokhan Inler will have to stay strong in the middle of the pitch, as he will most likely have to deal with the likes of Blaise Matuidi and Pogba going forward. Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri will once again need to be at the top of their games again if they want to help “La Suisse” get a result. Both of them are absolutely vital in the attacking third for the Swiss.
Expect this to be a game with chances for both sides. France will most likely have more possession but don’t expect the Swiss to sit in front of their goal for ninety minutes. I do think that France is the better squad and will create more, but it is hard to undermine the talent that the Swiss possess. It will definitely be a good game where both teams will look to attack as the winner will most likely be guaranteed a spot in the Round of 16.
My prediction: France wins 2-1
Betting odds via Bovada.lv
Switzerland: +0.5 (+115) // +375 Moneyline
France: -0.5 (-140) // -140 Moneyline
Draw: +265
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