Ukraine Can Win First Leg of Qualifiers

Ukraine and France will faceoff in one of the most hotly contested playoffs of the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers. The opening draw will take place in Kiev and there are a number of reasons to believe that the Ukrainians can pull off a huge victory against Les Bleues. Here are a few of them.
Defense
One of these two teams conceded four goals in 10 games; the other allowed six in eight. Guess which is which? Ukraine is actually the team that only conceded four goals in the entire tournament; only Spain (which played two fewer games) conceded less than the Ukrainians in the entire tournament. Consider the fact that this team contended with such nations as Montenegro, Poland and England and the statistic is even more impressive. France had to deal with Spain, but it faced lesser teams that included Belarus, Georgia and Finland; this was hardly a major challenge for Les Bleues.
Home Field Advantage
The Ukrainians were strong at home with three wins, one draw and one loss; the lone defeat came against Montenegro in 2012, but since then the team has not lost at home. More impressive is the fact that Ukraine only conceded two goals on its home turf but managed to shut out England and Poland in Kiev. This alone should give France some trouble on Friday.
Confidence and Momentum
Since losing against Montenegro in October 2012, Ukraine has not lost a single game in the Qualifiers. The team finished its run with a seven-game unbeaten streak and only finished one point behind England for the top spot in the group. This team is definitely feeling good about its chances and should manage a win on Friday.