World Cup Qualifying Group D odds: France look to banish Euros memory
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Preview and betting tips for World Cup Qualifying Group D
France may have flopped at the European Championship but they are the 1/12 favourites in the World Cup Qualifying Group D odds to finish top of their pool.
The world champions were the favourites to win the rescheduled Euro 2020 and were set fair when they topped the group of death comprising Germany and Portugal.
Didier Deschamps’ side were heading for the quarter-finals when they fought back from a goal down to take a 3-1 lead against Switzerland in the last 16 but two goals in the last nine minutes sent the game into extra time and penalties which the underdogs famously won thanks to keeper Yann Sommer.
Les Bleus head Qatar field with Brazil
France, 6/1 co-favourites with Brazil in the 2022 World Cup winner odds, made a disappointing start to qualifying with a 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine but 2-0 and 1-0 wins at Kazakhstan and Bosnia-Herzegovina have left them top of the group with seven points, four clear of nearest rivals are Ukraine.
The eastern Europeans went one stage further than France at the European Championship, although they were battered 4-0 by England in the quarter-finals at Wembley.
Andriy Shevchenko’s side drew their first three games 1-1 against France, Finland and Kazakhstan and are 8/1 in the World Cup qualifying Group D odds.
They resume their campaign against the Kazakhs on September 1 but their hopes of finishing top of the group rest on the home clash with France three days later.
Ukraine lost 7-1 to the French in an international friendly in October but they have experience of beating them on home soil, winning 2-0 in the first leg of a play-off for the 2014 World Cup although they lost the return 3-0 in a thriller in Paris.
Finland qualified for their first major tournament at Euro 2020 and won their opening group game against Denmark in traumatic circumstances following Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest but failed to advance to the last 16 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Back-to-back draws against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine have left the Finns unbeaten after two games and they are 33/1 in the World Cup Qualifying Group D odds.
A home clash with Kazakhstan on September 4 is followed three days later by a trip to France, so perhaps their best route to Qatar is through the play-offs.
Bosnia-Herzegovina, available at 18/1 in the World Cup qualifying Group D odds, did not make the Euros and with just one point from two games and a trip to France next up, they are in danger of missing out on another major tournament.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
