France v Mexico, Thursday 17th June, 7.30pm
A hugely intriguing encounter taking place at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, with both teams likely to be going for a maximum point haul which would put them in pole position to finish top of Group A. You have to say that Mexico stick out like a sore thumb at the prices, with William Hill and Victor Chandler both currently offering 5/2 that Javier Aguirre’s team are triumphant, something that’s hard to understand.
After all, while El Tri were largely the dominant side at Soccer City against South Africa, France produced a lacklustre performance against the Uruguayans later that day. While Les Bleus are sure to have their backers at odds of 5/4 (William Hill), there needs to be a big improvement from Raymond Domenech’s team if they are to win this match. The manager is clearly something of a wildcard and there is clearly dissent in the ranks, although it’s anyone’s guess as to whether Thierry Henry (11/2 Sky Bet) and Florent Malouda (9/1 888sport) will start this match.
Malouda’s absence against Uruguay was particularly strange considering the Chelsea winger has had an excellent season, although his club-mate Nicolas Anelka looked sharp on Friday and the striker is 11/2 (Victor Chandler) to break the deadlock on Thursday night.
However, Mexico beat Italy in a pre-season friendly and they could certainly get the better of a French team whose heads are liable to drop if they go a goal behind. The central Americans have a lovely playing style and excellent ball retention, although it simply comes down to whether they can provide that cutting edge and find the back of the net.
Guillermo Franco was the biggest culprit when it came to missing chances against South Africa, although the West Ham forward should get another opportunity to make his mark on the World Cup and can be backed at 8/1 (Paddy Power). At a bigger price, Rafael Marquez (33/1 William Hill) makes appeal after scoring against the hosts.