France highlighted their position as one of the tournament favourites with their opening win over Senegal, as they now look to seal their place in the last 32.
Didier Deschamps' men were arguably the most impressive team in the first round of matches at the World Cup and they will expect to make it six points against Iraq on Monday.
Les Bleus have already shown their immense ability in attacking positions and now prepare to face a team currently ranked outside the top 50 in the world.
Graham Arnold's squad go into the Group I clash on the back of 4-1 defeat to Norway, knowing another loss is likely to end their qualification hopes.
France v Iraq Tips Summary
Best Bet - France to win and over 3.5 goals @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Desire Doue anytime goalscorer @ 11/10
Bet Builder - Zaid Tahseen to be booked, Over 8 corners & Over 10.5 shots on target @ 17/2
France v Iraq Prediction
Best Bet: France to win and Over 3.5 Goals @ 5/6
Senegal posed a threat to France during the first half of their Group I opener, but the 2022 beaten finalists bounced back with an outstanding second-half display.
Their talented attacking players came to the fore and finished the game with an xG of 1.89 and racked up eight attempts on target.
France, who included five of the Paris Saint-Germain players who won the UEFA Champions League, didn’t lose a game in qualifying and averaged 2.66 goals per game across their six matches.
They now face an Iraq team who’s only clean sheet in their last seven internationals came in a 1-0 friendly win over minnows Andorra.
Arnold’s men conceded over 61% possession in their opener with Norway, who ended that 4-1 win in Boston with an xG of 2.53.
France have scored three or more goals in five of their last seven fixtures and with qualification still to be sealed, are likely to pile the pressure on their opponents from the start.
Alternative Bet: Desire Doue anytime goalscorer @ 11/10
At the age of just 21, Doue has already shown he is a star on the biggest stage and that was backed up by his selection in an attacking quartet against Senegal.
The PSG man comes into this tournament after another impressive club campaign, when he scored seven goals in Ligue 1 and five goals in 13 UEFA Champions League appearances.
Doue had two shots in the opener and also created a chance and looks set to get more opportunities against Iraq.
The former Rennes man, already a two-time UEFA Champions League winner, has already scored two goals in eight senior appearances for France and can add another on Monday.
France v Iraq Bet Builder
- Zaid Tahseen to be booked
- Over 8 corners
- Over 10.5 shots on target
Pays 17/2
Iraq's defence will have faced Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in back-to-back matches, a difficult task for any back four.
Centre-back Zaid Tahseen, who plays his club football in Uzbekistan, was booked against Norway and looks a strong candidate to be cautioned again on Monday.
There were 10 corners in France's opening match against opposition 44 places above Iraq in the FIFA world rankings.
With Les Bleus likely to have even more possession, Deschamp’s men look likely to rack up the set-pieces in Philadelphia.
France had 11 shots in the win over Senegal and despite losing 4-1, Iraq also registered 11 efforts against Norway.
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Key Match Stats
- This is Ira'’s fifth World Cup finals match and they are still looking for their first point.
- The 2010 World Cup was the last time France failed to qualify from their group.
- Ten of Iraq's 26-man squad play domestic football in their homeland.
- Kylian Mbappe is just two goals behind the World Cup's leading scorers, with his brace against Senegal taking him to 14.
- Mbappe is the only player in the France squad to have a double-figure goal tally to his name.
- Al-Karma striker Aymen Hussain is the leading scorer in Iraq's squad, with 34 goals in 96 appearances.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
