France begin their World Cup knockout campaign against Sweden at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, with the winner advancing to face Paraguay in the Round of 16.
Didier Deschamps’ side enters the clash in red-hot form, having swept through Group I with a perfect record, beating Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0, and Norway 4-1. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé have each scored four goals, forming one of the tournament’s most dangerous attacking partnerships and giving France the joint-most goal combinations by a duo at a World Cup since 1966.
Sweden, who finished third in Group F behind the Netherlands and Japan, scored their most goals in a single World Cup group stage in history, with Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak proving a genuine attacking threat. However, their defence, already missing centre-back Isak Hien, has struggled throughout the tournament.
Opta’s supercomputer gives France a commanding 75.1 percent chance of winning in normal time, with Sweden at just 9.5 percent. Deschamps has urged caution despite the favourable odds, insisting his side cannot afford the margin for error they enjoyed in the group stage.
