Two Titans Of World Football Will Face Off In The USA On Thursday
Gillette Stadium | International Friendly | Thursday March 26 | 8pm
Prior to Thursday’s international friendly, BetVictor News has the Brazil vs France preview, prediction, H2H record, betting angles and more.
Brazil Vs France Preview
A number of neutrals would love to see this as the 2026 FIFA World Cup final in July but if truth be told, the gap between them is widening. Brazil are not as feared as they once were – proven by their unconvincing CONMEBOL qualifying campaign.
The Selecao lost exactly a third of their 18 fixtures. Which included away defeats to the likes of Colombia, Uruguay and Paraguay. Two defeats to arch rivals Argentina didn’t help their cause either and head coach Carlo Ancelotti will learn a lot about his squad against the 2022 runners-up.
Even more so as the South American giants recently drew with Tunisia and lost to Japan. With that in mind, BetVictor’s 1×2 Brazil vs France betting markets favour Les Bleus. Even though there isn’t a huge amount in it, Didier Deschamp’s side have an envious attacking threat to call upon which tilts the scales to their advantage.
Such strength in depth make the two-time winners one of the main contenders in the World Cup Outright Winner betting market, too. Especially as the French only had one blemish in their European qualifying campaign.
The 2-2 draw in Iceland is hardly a huge concern and Thursday’s clash in Foxborough will be eagerly anticipated by fans. Even more so as this is the first meeting between Brazil and France in over ten years.
Brazil Vs France H2H Record
As surprising as it may be, the Brazil vs France H2H record is relatively scarce. This will be just the 15th meeting between the two global heavyweights and as it stands, both nations boast six wins each.
France’s most famous victory came in the 1998 World Cup final. Zinedine Zidane scored twice with Emmanuel Petit netting late on in a 3-0 victory in Paris. Eight years later, another Zizou masterclass downed the Brazilians in a 1-0 World Cup quarter-final success in Frankfurt.
As for the Selecao, five of their six wins came in friendly fixtures – which includes the last two in 2015 and 2013. The only time Brazil have been successful in a competitive game was during the 1958 World Cup. The late, great Pele netted a hat-trick in a 5-2 semi-final win.
Brazil wins: 6
Draws: 2
France wins: 6
Brazil Vs France Team News And Predicted Lineups
Bournemouth and Brentford have representation in the Brazil squad with Igor Thiago and Rayan auditioning for a place in the finals squad. Both stars were preferred over Neymar and his place in Canada, Mexico and USA is the source of great debate.
At the back, Gabriel will be absent alongside goalkeeper Alisson Becker and veteran left-back Alex Sandro. In attack, Carlo Ancelotti has the likes of Matheus Cunha, Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Joao Pedro to select from alongside the Cherries and Bees up-and-comers.
Meanwhile, France will be missing William Saliba. The Arsenal star dropped out of the squad alongside midfielder Manu Kone. Barcelona’s Jules Kounde will also be absent. Other than that, Didier Deschamp’s has a fully-fit side to choose from whereby Ousmane Dembele is expected to lead the line.
Brazil predicted lineup:
Ederson; Wesley, Bremer, Marquinhos, D. Santos; Raphinha, Casemiro, A. Santos, Vinicius Jr; Cunha, Pedro
France predicted lineup:
Maignan; Gusto, Konate, Upamecano, T. Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Cherki, Mbappe; Dembele
Brazil Vs France Betting Angles
France’s Recent Form vs Brazil’s Absentees
The value lies in France’s attacking momentum meeting a Brazil side stripped of key players. The xG data backs up France’s quality. A 2.7 xG performance against Ukraine isn’t a fluke, it’s a pattern. The Selecao, meanwhile, have entertained some questionable results in recent fixtures including a tame 1-1 draw with Tunisia last time out.
The xG Story for Brazil
Brazil’s losses to Bolivia and Japan look slightly harsh on the eye test given their possession numbers, but the shot data tells a more honest story. They’re not creating enough quality chances, and their sterile possession with 22 shots against Tunisia yielding only a 1-1 draw at home underlines that problem.
Both Teams to Score
Both sides have shown defensive vulnerabilities of late. Brazil and France have conceded in three of their last five outings across all competitions. Owing to the attacking prowess both nations offer, the smart money suggest BTTS on Thursday.
France to Win
Given the injuries in Brazil’s camp, Kylian Mbappe’s return to the French squad, and the clear gap in recent xG performance, France look the stronger side on current evidence. This is a friendly, so anything can happen, but the underlying data points in one direction.
Brazil Vs France Prediction
As far as marquee friendlies go, it’s tough to find a more glamorous fixture than Brazil vs France. With seven World Cup wins between them and an abundance of stars present in each squad, supporters should expect to be in for a high-scoring treat.
However, France’s recent form compared to the Selecao’s recent struggles firmly point to a win for Didier Deschamps side.
Prediction: Brazil 1-3 France
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