France did not look so dominant during the group stage of the World Cup, but they certainly turned on some offense against Argentina, which was the runner-up four years ago, as they progressed to the knockout stage. Now they have a chance to go to the semi-finals as they take on a hard-nosed squad from Uruguay in a game that starts at 10 AM ET Friday at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. And remember that when you open up an account with BetAnySports, you will have a chance to place wagers during the match itself using the state-of-the-art software from Live Betting Ultra.

Les Bleus, who won the World Cup in 1998, have a vast array of offensive talent, and that was definitely on display against Lionel Messi and Argentina, winning 4-3, as the headline-maker was Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice. Mbappe, who is only 19 years old, was considered a potential breakout star, but he is turning everybody's head. He is also the subject of heavy rumors that he is going to be transferring from his current club, Paris Saint-Germain, to Real Madrid, which is something the Spanish team has vehemently denied.

When you put Mbappe together with Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, N'Golo Kante and the inventive Paul Pogba, who was a dominant factor against Argentina, the French have an offensive arsenal that will be very hard to beat.

Still, Uruguay is going to have something to say about that. One of the things they have become noted for is their ability to defend, and Diego Godin is the backbone of that. Oscar Tabarez's team has gone through the first four games allowing just one goal, including a 2-1 victory over Christiano Ronaldo and Portugal. The rough news coming out of all this is that Edinson Cavani, who tallied both goals for them, is nursing a hamstring injury and is iffy at best for this one.

In the World Cup odds that have been posted on this game by the people at BetAnySports, the French team is the favorite:

France advances -215
Uruguay advances +185

France +106
Uruguay +367
Draw +213

Over 2 Goals +100
Under 2 Goals -115

France had to sweat out a narrow victory over Peru and a draw with Denmark in the group stage, and going back to qualifying they did not look like a juggernaut, as they drew with both Belarus and Luxembourg. They busted out nicely in the game with Argentina, scoring more in 90 minutes than they did in the previous three matches combined.

The problem for them is two-fold as they prepare to compete for a trio to the semis. One is that they are facing the airtight Uruguay backline, where Godin (a teammate and best friend of Griezmann, where they are teammates with Atletico Madrid) and Jose Maria Giminez have formed something of a dynamic duo.

The other problem is that France may have a leaky defense. Raphael Varane, who has spent seven years as a mainstay with Real Madrid, will be called upon to slow down Luis Suarez, who is not only Uruguay's top scoring threat but may also have more of a burden on his shoulders of Cavani can't make post. While his teammate Godin is known as a model citizen, Suarez is, well, not so much. During the 2014 World Cup he bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini and was banned four months by FIFA, and that was actually his third biting incident.

Coach Didier Deschamps, who was the captain for France's squad in 1998 when they won the World Cup, thinks his team may have at least some preparation for the deliberate Uruguayan side, as they encountered Peru, which plays a similar style, in group play. France will have to move forward without midfielder Blaise Matuidi, who picked up a second yellow card and was suspended for this match.

This is a rough one, and a real clash of styles, but we're going to cast a vote for offense here. France is fully capable of "laying an egg," but they will advance.

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