Uruguay vs France – South Americans to park the bus?

Uruguay vs France, Friday 7.30pm

Problem child France take on Uruguay in their first group match, and are favourites to win, with odds of 11/10, to Uruguay’s 11/4.

The teams have met only twice since the turn of the Millennium – for a friendly in 2008, and at the World Cup in 2002 – and they have yet to break the deadlock.

Both matches ended goalless, so football betting on the sides to draw 0-0 might prove to be good business, with odds of 7/1.

You would have to go all the way back to the Platini years – 1985 – to find the last time that this head-to-head produced a winner.

Should the deadlock be broken, Diego Forlan has been on decent form, with seven goals in qualifying, and looks a good bet at 7/1.

Whilst the Frenchmen considered the “most likely to” are Anelka (4/1) and Henry (5/1).

Speaking of Thierry Henry – he was shown a straight red card in this fixture during the 2002 tournament, and has world cup odds of 25/1 to become the first player in the book.

Or, should he repeat his recklessness of eight years ago and receive a red, you can find odds on a sending off at 10/3.

So can either team finally make it onto the score sheet? See the full Uruguay vs France market.