2018 World Cup: Uruguay v France

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TEAM NEWS

The striker in the form of Uruguay's Edinson Cavani is expected to miss this match with the calf injury that he suffered in his victory against Portugal.

Former Middlesbrough striker Cristhian Stuani should be named to play alongside Luis Suarez

French coach Didier Deschamps has to decide who will replace suspended midfielder Blaise Matuidi.

Corentin Tolisso seems to be the favorite, having started his opening match against Australia.

OVERVIEW

The quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup will begin with a fascinating clash of styles between two teams of world-clbad players. Uruguay has the weakest defense with Brazil so far, having scored only one goal in four games, while France, after a tasteless start, has ended the maneuvers to eliminate Argentina from Lionel Messi.

The formidable Uruguayan duo of Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani won many titles, but in this match, only the Portuguese Pepe managed to thwart the defense of La Celeste.

There is no doubt, however, that France will pose a completely different test, especially now that they seem to have found their offensive momentum. Kylian Mbappe's performance over the last 16 minutes could prove to be a crucial moment in her career. He became the first teenager since Pele in 1958 to score twice in a World Cup match.

VIEW OF TWO CAMPS

Oscar Tabarez: "The strengths of France are the attackers, (Antoine Griezmann and (Kylian) Mbappe If you let France have room, it will be very difficult. "

The head coach of France Didier Deschamps: " I prepare my team if Cavani plays or not, I will only know 90 minutes before the match. "[19659017] "They (Uruguay) have so many badets, so many qualities, they defend themselves as a unit, they play together and they like to do that." PREDICTION OF LAWRO

L & # 39; Uruguay has seemed extremely difficult to beat and, whether or not it is supported statistically, I think they have the best defense in the competition.

France, meanwhile , has been slowly improved and better since the beginning of the tournament, then exploded in life in their victory over Argentina.

I think that s I'm tight, but I want to see Didier Deschamps, who is starting to look like a very good team rather than a collection of very talented individuals.

Prediction: 0-1

Lawro's complete predictions

MATCH FACTS

Head to head

• Uruguay and France They are facing for the fourth time in the World Cup, but for the first time in the round of 16.
• The last two meetings of the World Cup ended 0-0 in the group stage in 2002 and 2010. Uruguay beat the French 2-1 in 1966.
• The Uruguayans won the last meeting 1-0 in June 2013. Luis Suarez scored the goal in a friendly match in Montevideo.
• France's only win over Uruguay in eight games was a 2-0 victory in a friendly match in Paris in August 1985.

Uruguay

• Uruguay could equal a national record by winning five consecutive games in a single World Cup. The last time they won their first four games was in 1930, which was enough to win the tournament.
• They aim to make the semifinals for the fifth time and for the second time in the last three tournaments. [19659027] Celeste won its last two quarterfinals in 1970 and 2010. Their last defeat at this stage came in 1966 when they lost 4-0 to West Germany.
• Of the 45 international goals of Edinson Cavani, 12 were badisted by Luis Suarez. [19669027] Since 1966, only the Poles Grzegorz Lato and Andrzej Szarmach and the Germans Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose (both five) have combined more goals for the World Cup than the four of Cavani and Suarez.
• Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera plays and has made a total of 10 saves so far.

France

• France aims to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
• France has progressed from four consecutive quarter-finals in the World Cup to 39 to lose against Germany at the 2014 tournament.
• They are unbeaten in their last nine World Cup matches against South American teams (W5, D4), keeping a clean sheet in seven of this games.
• Kylian Mbappe has scored three goals up here this tournament – he is the first teenager to score that number in a World Cup campaign since Pele scored six for Brazil in 1958.
• Only Pele and L & German Edmund Conen (four goals in 1934) scored more as a teenager.
• Antoine Griezmann scored six goals in his last five meetings in the round of 16 (World Cup and European Championship).
• But he has only two goals in 12 attempts in Russia and both penalties.
• France is unbeaten in every game Griezmann scored (W17, D2).