Prediction: France vs Spain

Verdict: Draw

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Bet365

Having both won their respective 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers earlier last week, France and Spain go head-to-head in one of the most glamorous fixtures in international football, which is expected to bring forward an exciting performance despite the lack of competitive importance.

France

Les Bleus might have recorded a 3-1 win over Luxembourg on Saturday, but the display against the tiny nation was far from a convincing one. Luxembourg even went on to score an equaliser to briefly go 1-1 with the Euro 2016 finalists, before conceding two more and ultimately losing the game. Oliviero Giroud scored a brace and Antoine Griezmann scored one goal as well in a game which allowed France to keep their three-point gap in front of Sweden at the top of Group A standings. The French have thus extended their unbeaten run to seven matches in a row and will face Spain looking to continue the fine form. The hosts will be hopeful their formidable attacking talent will now be put to a better use after the Luxembourg game which saw Dimitri Payet and his teammates struggle upfront with Europe’s minnows. The forthcoming clash will be a chance for Didier Deschamp to once again give a chance to Europe’s biggest sensation – Kylian Mbappe – who broke an international record for France after coming on for Dimitri Payet against Luxembourg to become France’s youngest star for over 60 years.

Team News

Karim Benzema has been once again frozen out of the France squad and Les Blues could miss a player of his standing against reputable rivals like Spain.

Deschamps is not expected to make many changes to his starting team, although Rabiot could be given a place in the team from the off instead of Matuidi. Additionally, Mbappe could be in line for his first-ever start for France.

Spain

La Roja travels to France feeling positive after their highly-important World Cup qualifier win over Israel last Friday. Julen Lopetegui’s men ensured a 4-1 win to make sure they remained top of the group ahead of Italy. Two goals in each half with a diverse list of scorers which includes David Silva, Vitolo, Diego Costa and Isco will have been a fine morale boost for the Spanish. The Israel team proved to be a weak opponent for the quality-packed Spanish side, who will be aware their game needs to be pushed up a notch for the forthcoming clash. The Spanish are unbeaten in their last seven matches across all competitions and the Tuesday game will be their seventh friendly game in the last 12 months. La Roja will also be hoping to repeat the 2-0 result from back in 2010 when the two countries last met in France. The two countries played each other four more times since then and Spain appears to be holding an upper hand over their rivals with three wins in last five meetings. Games between two of Europe’s biggest rivals often prove to be evenly-contested affairs and we have no doubt the forthcoming clash will be exactly the same.

Team News

Isco could be rewarded with a starting berth for his display against Israel, whereas Lopetegui is not expected to make big changes despite the fact Italy match is a friendly one.

The Spain boss has received a piece of bad news though, as he won’t be able to count on Chelsea striker Diego Costa who picked up an injury at training.

Key Factors to Consider

• Both sides are unbeaten in their seven matches
• France won nine of the last ten matches they played at home
• Spain has been rather inconsistent in their last 10 away games (W4 D4 L2)
• Under 2.5 goals were scored in the last four matches between the two teams
• Kylian Mbappe could become France’s youngster starter ever

Conclusion

There is not much separating the two sides in terms of quality, strength and current form so we expect to see a highly competitive clash. Regardless of the game being a friendly one, both France and Spain will give their best to win and keep the momentum on. It will be easier said than done as both sides boast formidable defence line.

Verdict: Draw

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker: Bet365