Kylian Mbappe’s France will square up against Belgium in Dusseldorf on Monday for a place in the last eight of Euro 2024.
Both France and Belgium have not reached the expected levels at this year’s Euro. They might have managed to make it to the round of 16 but to go beyond this, they will have to step up and deliver.
Les Bleus could only manage a second-place finish in Group D with five points in their three outings. While they might have lost the top spot to Austria, Didier Deschamps’s team are unbeaten so far which is a positive for their fans.
After winning their opener against Austria 1-0, they played out a goalless draw against the Netherlands and are heading into this round of 16 tie on the back of a 1-1 draw against Poland. While they have been dominating the ball and creating chances, France have not been clinical enough in the final third something that needs to change if they want to go a long way here.
The Red Devils managed to finish second in Group E where all four teams finished with four points to their name. Romania managed to top the group as they had scored more goals than Belgium throughout the group stage with both teams having the same goal difference.
They started with a shocking 1-0 defeat to Slovakia, before claiming a dominant win over Romania (2-0). In their last outing, they ended up playing a 0-0 draw against Ukraine. Despite dominating the proceedings, they could not find the back of the net and will have to do much better against a team like France. 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
Didier Deschamps has no fresh injury concerns to worry about and since Kylian Mbappe played the entire 90 minutes in their last outing, he should have no problem starting this one as well. Antoine Griezmann is expected to make a return to the starting XI for this one.
France will revert to a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mike Maignan in goal. Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez will continue as the full-backs, while William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano will feature in the heart of the defence.
The backline will look for a clean sheet, and they will have the support of N’Golo Kante and Aurelien Tchouameni who will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. With Tchouameni expected to continue as a holding midfielder, Adrien Rabiot might be seen playing out wide on the left to ensure better defensive coverage.
Ousmane Dembele will feature on the right flank and Antoine Griezmann will feature in a number ten role. While Mbappe will start up top as the striker, he will have full freedom to drift wide onto the left flank, with Rabiot expected to be in a more deeper role for most parts.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni; Dembele, Griezmann, Rabiot; Mbappe
Belgium
Dodi Lukebakio is back available after serving a suspension last time out. But, Domenico Tedesco is expected to be without the services of Axel Witsel and Thomas Meunier, who are still recovering from their issues.
Belgium will also go ahead with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Koen Casteels will be in goal. Timothy Castagne and Arthur Theate will be the full-backs, while in the heart of the defence, Wout Faes will feature alongside former Tottenham star defender Jan Vertonghen.
Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will not only look to shield the backline but also ensure they do not allow the opposition to control the tempo of the game.
Kevin De Bruyne will be the attacking midfielder, he will be the chief creator for the Red Devils and the majority of the eyes will be on him as they look to get the better of France. Yannick Carrasco could start on the left flank while Jeremy Doku is a certainty on the right. Romelu Lukaku is expected to lead the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Casteels; Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theate; Tielemans, Onana; Doku, De Bruyne, Carrasco; Lukaku
Key Stats
- Belgium have won 30 out of the 75 matches played between the two teams while France only have 26 wins.
- France have only won one out of their last four games.
- Kylian Mbappe scored his first-ever goal at the Euros when he slotted home the penalty against Poland.
- Belgium have qualified for the knockout stages of the Euro for the third consecutive time.
- France could only manage two goals in the group stage of Euro 2024 which is their lowest tally in a major tournament since the 2010 World Cup.
Player to Watch
Antoine Griezmann
No doubt all eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe, but Griezmann might end up being the difference between the two teams in this knockout clash. He has come into the Euros on the back of an impressive season with Atletico Madrid where he contributed towards 32 goals. Since he is yet to score or assist at the Euros, the French international will be eager to get the job done against Belgium.
Prediction
France 2-1 Belgium
Both teams might not have lived up to the expectations so far in the tournament, but this high-voltage knockout fixture will surely live up to the hype. Both teams are expected to get their names on the scoresheet given the kind of attacking power they have but in the end, Les Bleus might just manage to come out on top here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for France.
