France and the Ukraine will do battle in the first leg of the World Cup playoffs on Friday.
The French finished second in Group I behind Spain. The team managed a record of five wins, two draws and one defeat; the lone loss was a 1-0 scoreline at home against Spain. The team did manage to earn a draw at Spain against the defending World Cup champions in their other match against one another. Franck Ribery led France with five goals in the group stage.
"For me it's very important that we qualify. Ukraine are a good team but France have to be in Brazil," Ribery told FIFA.com. "We're also a good side and need to play well over the two games. It won't be easy but we can win."
Regarding the possibility of missing the tournament, Ribery stated: "That would be a catastrophe for the whole country. It's hard to think about that, we can't put ourselves under too much pressure. We need to play without fear."
The Ukrainians finished second in Group H behind England. The team finished with a record of six wins, three draws and one loss; the team scored 28 goals and only conceded four; 17 of the team's goals came against lowly San Marino, which conceded 54 goals in 10 matches. The team drew with England in both of its matches and lost against Montenegro.
France defeated Ukraine in the Euro 2012 last summer.
Prediction: France manages a 1-1 draw with Ukraine.
Start Time: Kick-off starts at 2:45 a.m. EST.
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