On July 14 and 15, the matches between France and Spain, and between England and Argentina, will determine who progresses to the final of the main football tournament. The best sports betting site 1xBet explains what to expect from the upcoming fixtures and what factors could influence their outcome.
France vs Spain: can La Roja defense stop Mbappé?
Didier Deschamps’s team has won all its matches in the tournament. First, Les Bleus comfortably topped their group, which included Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, before going on to eliminate Sweden (3-0), Paraguay (1-0), and Morocco (2-0) in the knockout stage.
France have now scored 16 goals, with Kylian Mbappé netting 8 of them. The Real Madrid forward is having a superb tournament and remains the main threat to any defense.
Spain have impressive attacking potential and excellent defense – the team has conceded only one goal in six games. Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Austria, and Portugal failed to score against Luis de la Fuente’s men. Their clean sheet run was only broken by Belgium in the quarterfinals, though La Roja still won 2-1.
In their 38 head-to-head matches, Spain have won 18 times, with France emerging victorious on 13 occasions and 7 games ending in a draw. La Roja have also celebrated victory in their last two encounters.
In the Euro 2024 semi-final, they won 2-1, and a year later, in a spectacular Nations League clash, Spain came out on top with a score of 5-4.
Nevertheless, according to 1xBet, Deschamps’s side are considered slight favorites for this fixture. The odds for the main outcomes are as follows:
- France win – 2.48
- Draw – 3.305
- Spain win – 3.225
A win would see France reach the Globe Cup final for the third time in a row, whereas Spain haven’t reached the final since their victorious campaign in 2010.
England vs Argentina: Kane and Bellingham challenge Messi
England topped their group, which included Croatia, Ghana, and Panama, relatively easily, but once they reached the knockout stage, each victory came with ever greater difficulty. First, the Three Lions beat DR Congo (2-1), then, despite being a man down, snatched a victory against Mexico (3-2). In the quarter-final against Norway, Thomas Tuchel’s side scored the winning goal only in extra time to seal the final 2-1 score.
The team’s main weapon is the duo of Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have scored 12 of England’s 13 goals in the competition. They will pose the main threat to the reigning champions’ defense.
Argentina also breezed through the group stage, defeating Algeria, Austria, and Jordan. However, in the knockout stage, the champions haven’t had a single convincing victory yet, despite scoring 3 goals in every match.
In two of their three knockout stage games, Argentina needed more than 90 minutes. In the round of 32, Lionel Scaloni’s side only managed to beat Cape Verde in extra time (3-2), while in the quarterfinals, following a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, goals from Julián Alvarez and Lautaro Martínez secured a 3-1 win. The only match Messi and his teammates won in regular time proved no less dramatic. La Albiceleste had been trailing 2-0 until the 79th minute against Egypt but staged a spectacular late comeback to snatch a 3-2 victory.
England and Argentina have met 13 times. The Europeans have won 6 games, the South Americans 2, and the remaining 5 matches ended in a draw. A victory would allow the Three Lions to reach the final for the first time since 1966. If La Albiceleste succeed, they will come closer to matching the achievement of Brazil, who managed to defend their title in 1962.
There are no clear favorites for the upcoming game. 1xBet offers the following odds for the main outcomes:
- England win – 2.696
- Draw – 3.085
- Argentina win – 3.12
Follow the semi-final battles and support your favorites with the best sports betting site 1xBet!
