France vs Sweden: World Cup's Easiest Banker?

France vs Sweden is the safest call of the round — Mbappe and Dembele against a leaky Sweden missing Hien. Here's the tip.

Morocco did it. They went to Monterrey, stood toe-to-toe with the Netherlands, and knocked them out on penalties, the Dutch are gone, and the Atlas Lions are in the last 16 of the World Cup. 

Germany are gone too, beaten by Paraguay from the spot. This tournament is eating favourites for breakfast, and Africa is very much at the table.

Today the headline is simple: Ivory Coast try to make it two. 

They get Erling Haaland and Norway in Dallas, while France should stroll past a leaky Sweden and Mexico carry the weight of a nation into a knockout night at the Azteca. 

One African side already through. One more swinging today.

Morocco sent the Dutch home on penalties. 

Ivory Coast fancy doing the same to Haaland.

Ivory Coast vs Norway — Round of 32 — Dallas, 6pm (UK)

This is the game for Africa today, and it is no gimme. 

Ivory Coast are in their first ever World Cup knockout, and they got here the proper way — organised, physical, opening the scoring in all three group games and only losing to Germany in stoppage time. 

Emerse Fae has built a side that controls midfield through Kessie and Sangare and carries serious transition threat through Amad Diallo, Nicolas Pepe and the 19-year-old everyone wants, Yan Diomande.

Norway are the favourites, and the reason is obvious: Erling Haaland, four goals already, rested in the final group game and now back and hungry. 

Martin Odegaard returns too. On paper that is a frightening attack.

But here is the crack. 

Norway have not kept a clean sheet in five matches and conceded in every group game. 

Their defence is the soft underbelly, and Ivory Coast are exactly the kind of quick, direct side built to find it. 

The Elephants' one flaw all tournament has been finishing, Pepe and company have been wasteful. 

If they fix that for one night, this is there for the taking.

Keep Haaland quiet, take your chances, and Ivory Coast walk into the last 16 next to Morocco. 

Miss them, and Norway only need their man to do what he always does.

Prediction: Ivory Coast 1-1 Norway, Ivory Coast to qualify on penalties.

Tip: Ivory Coast to qualify — upset special. Norway lean almost entirely on Haaland and have not kept a clean sheet in five; Ivory Coast have the organisation and the transition speed to drag this into the distance and nick it.

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France vs Sweden — Round of 32 — New York/New Jersey, 10pm (UK)

France are France, and the bench alone could qualify on its own. 

They won all three group games 10-2, Mbappe has scored in every match, and Dembele announced himself with a hat-trick against Norway. 

Sweden, by contrast, scraped through third and have looked exactly like a side that conceded seven goals in the group stage. 

Isak Hien is out injured for the tournament, which guts an already shaky back line and Saliba is expected to play through a back niggle for France.

Prediction: France 3-1 Sweden.

Tip: France to win — banker of the day. The deepest attack in the tournament against a Sweden defence that leaks and is now missing Hien; Gyokeres and Isak might score, but they will not win it.

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Mexico vs Ecuador — Round of 32 — Mexico City, 2am (UK, Wed)

Mexico at the Azteca in a knockout is a national pressure cooker with a mariachi soundtrack and remarkably, El Tri have won just one World Cup knockout game in their history. 

They top the form charts here: a perfect nine points in Group A and three clean sheets, with Raul Jimenez restored up front. 

Ecuador are the awkward customers, a third-placed side with a watertight defence who came from behind to dump Germany out of the group. 

This has the feel of a tight, low-event night settled by one Azteca moment.

Prediction: Mexico 1-0 Ecuador.

Tip: Mexico to qualify. Not pretty and not for the neutrals, just three group clean sheets, home knockout pressure and one big moment against a blunt Ecuador attack.

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