France will look to return to winning ways and secure their place in the knockout phase with a win over Poland, who have already been knocked out.
Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion will play host to the Group D fixture between France and Poland. While Robert Lewandowski’s team have already been knocked out of the tournament, Kylian Mbappe’s team have a lot to play for.
France need to avoid a defeat at all costs if they do not want to risk getting knocked out from the group stage. They are currently second on the points table behind the Netherlands on goal difference. A dominating win over Poland could even help them claim the top spot in Group D.
After managing to secure all three points against Austria with a narrow 1-0 win, Didier Deschamps’s team played out a goalless draw against the Oranje. As a result, they find themselves in a complicated position but a win is all they need.
Poland are bottom of Group D having lost both their games so far. They were the first team to get knocked out of Euro 2024 and will surely be disappointed with their performances at the continental tournament.
They lost 2-1 to Netherlands in their opening fixture of the group as injured Lewandowski watched in frustration from the bench. While the Polish skipper did come off the bench in their second fixture against Austria, he could not get the result they wanted with the match finishing 3-1 in favour of the opponents.
While there is nothing to play for, they will look to end the tournament on a high, and there might not be anything better than knocking down one of the favourites of the competition. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
France
Real Madrid’s newest galactico, Kylian Mbappe who did not take part in their game against the Netherlands after breaking his nose in their opening fixture of Euro 2024 is expected to start this fixture.
With Mbappe making a return to the XI, Didier Deschamps will have to decide on who amongst Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni drops to the bench. Since there are no fresh injury concerns, there are unlikely to be any major changes.
Deschamps will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mike Maignan will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez will be the full-backs for the team, while William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano will feature in the heart of the defence.
N’Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to shield the backline and ensure France dominates the proceedings.
Ousmane Dembele will feature on the right flanks, while Marcus Thuram will be on the left wing. Atletico Madrid superstar Antoine Griezmann will feature in a number ten role, with Kylian Mbappe expected to lead the line for France against Poland.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Thuram; Mbappe
Poland
Bartosz Salamon missed the game against Austria due to an ankle injury, and he is a major doubt for this fixture against France. Meanwhile, Robert Lewandowski is expected to return to the starting XI after appearing off the bench last time out. This could be his final appearance at a major tournament for his country.
Poland will stick to the 3-5-2 formation, where Wojciech Szczesny will be in goal. The back three is expected to be made up of Jan Bednarek, Pawel Dawidowicz and Jakub Kiwior. They will look to keep things tight at the back and will receive support from Przemyslaw Frankowski and Nicola Zalewski who will feature as the wing-backs.
Bartosz Slisz will be the defensive midfielder and he will have the support of Piotr Zielinski and Jakub Moder. They will look to ensure France do not end up dominating the ball too deep in their half. In attack, Karol Swiderski is expected to start alongside Robert Lewandowski up top.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Szczesny; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Frankowski, Zielinski, Slisz, Moder, Zalewski; Swiderski, Lewandowski
Key Stats
- Poland were on an eight-match unbeaten run before heading into the Euro 2024, where they have lost both their outings.
- France have been unbeaten in their last five outings, they have won 14 out of their last 20 fixtures.
- Poland will finish bottom of the group even if they win against France and manage to draw level on points with Austria, having lost the head-to-head clash.
- Les Blues have played out the most (12) goalless draws at the Euros and the World Cup since their first which came back in 1992.
- The visitors became the first team to get knocked out of Euro 2024.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
Euro 2024 has not gone according to plan for Mbappe so far. The French captain could not have that big an impact on the opening fixture, where he ended up breaking his nose. Having been on the bench for the second fixture against the Netherlands, the former PSG forward will be eager to hit the ground running.
Prediction
France 3-1 Poland
Given the kind of form Poland have been in Euro 2024, they are unlikely to stand a chance against a team like France. While the 2018 World Cup winners have not been at their best so far, this game will be the perfect opportunity for them to gear up for the knockout stages. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-1 win for Les Blues.
