UEFA World Cup Qualifiers: Ukraine vs France - Betting Tips, Odds & Prediction

France open their World Cup qualifying campaign with a tough away test against Ukraine, arguably their hardest fixture on paper. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Ukraine must host their home fixture in Poland, but they will be confident of giving Les Bleus a run for their money. 

New Zealand betting apps have rolled out their odds markets for this enticing UEFA World Cup qualifier clash. We have a look at the offerings and come up with the best Ukraine vs France betting predictions in our preview.

Ukraine

After falling agonisingly short of Nations League A with a 4-3 playoff loss to Belgium, Ukraine will look to put things right in their World Cup qualifying campaign. Top bookmakers like Bet365, however, are not overly confident of the Yellow-Blue’s chances since they have qualified for the Greatest Show on Earth only once. 

Drawing France in the qualifiers also does not help their chances. However, even if Ukraine fail to frustrate the two-time world champions, their qualification hopes will be alive if they can finish ahead of Azerbaijan and Iceland in the group.

Team News: Ukraine U-21 stars Taras Mykhavko and Oleh Ocheretko have received their first senior team call-ups.

Predicted Lineup: Riznyk; Matviyenko, Bondar, Zabarnyi, Tymchyk; Kalyuzhnyi; Tsygankov, Shaparenko, Zinchenko, Sudakov; Yaremchuk.

France

Sign up bonus sites are already treating France as hot favourites to lift the World Cup trophy in the US next summer. It seems to be a sensible prediction since France made two back-to-back World Cup finals and won one. But the reality is, Kylian Mbappe and company must overcome the qualifiers first. 

France will return to action for the first time since their 2-0 victory against Germany in the UEFA Nations League third-place decider. As one of modern football’s most successful sides, France may already feel the weight of expectation, having not lifted a trophy since the 2021 Nations League.

So, they will be eager to get their World Cup qualifier mission going with a commanding win.

Team News: Hugo Ekitike has finally managed to make it to the French squad after Ryan Chekri missed out with a quadriceps injury.

Predicted Lineup: Maignan; Pavard, Konate, L. Hernandez, Digne; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Ekitike, Doue; Mbappe.

• France have not won in their last two competitive matches against Ukraine. 
• Both teams have scored in the last three Ukraine vs France meetings. 
• France have won only one of their last four competitive matches against Ukraine.

Ukraine proved to be a tricky test for France in the past, but they have not been in great form lately. They could not finish the job in Genk after winning the first leg of their Nations League tie against Belgium. 

Their woes continued with a 4-2 defeat to Canada, a result that will frustrate Rebrov given his side dominated possession and had more shots on target. They had a narrow win against New Zealand in their latest outing, but France represent a far tougher challenge. 

Ukraine have won only three of their last seven matches, while France have seen off teams like Germany, Croatia, and Italy in their previous outings. 

We expect both teams to score in this match, but France should get the full points.

France 3-1 Ukraine @ $11.00

Didier Deschamps’ men have taken five wins from their last eight outings, and their firepower up front could prove decisive here. Ukraine did stop France on the last three occasions, but their most recent meeting took place four years ago. A lot has changed since then, and Ukraine doesn't seem to be in a great shape right now. Both sides have scored in eight of Ukraine’s last 10 matches, so they should find the net again, even if it comes in a loss. We fancy a 3-1 France win, which comes with an $11 payout on most legal betting sites.