Socceroos v France World Cup betting tips & odds – 23/11/2022

Can the Socceroos spring an upset when they tackle France in their opening FIFA World Cup fixture this Wednesday morning (6am AEDT)?

The French are third favourites behind Brazil and Argentina to hoist the World Cup trophy and are fourth on official FIFA rankings, so it is a very challenging start for Australia. Leading French club Paris Saint-Germain are having a stellar year in Europe with centre forward Kylian Mbappé in career best form. Mbappé sits second in Golden Boot betting markets and will need to be contained if the Aussies are to avoid embarrassment.

The French squad stands extremely tall, so we can expect a heavy aerial attack into the box. Olivier Giroud is 6’4″ and is expected to lead the line with Karim Benzema withdrawing from the tournament, so whatever combination is selected for this game, corner kicks and long, looping crosses will almost certainly prove dangerous to the defenders.

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The Socceroos have chosen a young squad that will be nervy in the opening minutes of the match, so a solid start is critical to their chances. We can expect coach Graham Arnold to select 6’6″ defender Harry Soutar to combat the aerial threat of Giroud, but elsewhere – especially in midfield – the Aussies will be dwarfed by their opponents.

The Socceroos will be looking to emerge with a draw from this encounter, so expect a highly defensive strategy to be employed. Even a 1-0 loss would be acceptable in case goal difference plays a role in deciding who makes it through the group stage. This game will set the tone for the rest of the tournament, and a heavy defeat might prove a mental blow that the young Aussies cannot overcome.

There has been a flow of money for the draw in the lead-up, so betting markets are not completely writing off Australia’s chances. France to win is the tip at $1.25 with BetOnline, hopefully by two goals or less.

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