France host Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on Monday evening, looking to bounce back from the disappointing defeat against Italy at home.
France were completely outplayed by Italy, and Didier Deschamps will demand a strong reaction from his players when they welcome Belgium to the Groupama Stadium on Monday. They had an underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign as well and Les Bleus will look to win the UEFA Nations League.
Meanwhile, Belgium are coming into this game on the back of a 3-1 win over Israel, and they will be reasonably confident of getting a good result on Monday. France are clearly vulnerable right now, and it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils can grind out a win away from home.
On paper, France are the better team, but Belgium have what it takes to grind out a positive result here. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
France
France will be without the services of Wesley Fofana, Ferland Mendy, and Aurelien Tchouameni here after the trio pulled out ahead of the game against Italy. Meanwhile, Adrien Rabiot And Benjamin Pavard were dropped from the most recent squad.
France are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mike Maignan in goal. Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez will start in the full-back areas, and the two players will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. William Saliba will start at the heart of the defence alongside Ibrahima Konate.
As for the midfield unit, N’Golo Kante will start as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to break up the opposition attacks and shield the back four. Warren Zaire-Emery will start alongside him in the midfield pivot.
Antoine Griezmann will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to link the midfield with the attack. Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola should start in the wide areas. They will look to add pace and flair to the side. Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for France against Belgium.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Konate, Theo Hernandez; Kante, Zaire-Emery; Dembele, Griezmann, Barcola; Mbappe
Belgium
Romelu Lukaku and Leandro Trossard are among those who have been left out of the squad. In addition, Arne Engels have pulled out from the squad. The 21-year-old carried a suspension from receiving three yellow cards while playing for the Belgian national under-21 football team. Since he was ineligible for the match against France, he left the group.
The away side are likely to shape up in a 4-5-1 formation, with Koen Casteels in goal. Timothy Castagne and Maxim De Cuyper will start as the full-backs. They will look keep things compact at the back and help out during counter-attacking situations. Wout Faes and Arthur Theate will start at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Amadou Onana will act as the defensive midfielder, and he will look to win the ball back for his side. Youri Tielemans will look to control the tempo of the game alongside him.
Kevin De Bruyne will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to carve out goalscoring opportunities for his teammates with his passing and vision. Johan Bakayoko and Jeremy Doku should start in the wide areas. They will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Lois Openda will lead the line for Belgium against France.
Probable lineup (4-5-1): Casteels; Castagne, Faes, Theate, De Cuyper; Onana, Tielemans; Bakayoko, De Bruyne, Doku; Openda
Key Stats
- France have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven matches against Belgium in all competitions.
- France have won their last three matches against Belgium in all competitions.
- France have picked up just one one from the last five matches in all competitions.
- Belgium have picked up two wins from the last five matches in all competitions.
- 14 goals have been scored in the last six matches between France and Belgium.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
The France captain is one of the best players in the world, and he is our key player to watch out for. He could cause all sorts of problems for the Belgian defence with his movement link-up play, flair and pace. Mbappe is clinical in front of goal, and France will need him to step up and deliver if they want to bounce back strongly after the defeat to Italy.
Prediction
France 2-1 Belgium
On paper, France are the better team here, and they will be expected to grind out a win. Belgium are likely to make life difficult for the home team, and this is unlikely to be an easy outing for the French. The Red Devils will have to be at their best, and they cannot afford to be complacent.
A close contest is on the cards with both teams scoring. However, France have the quality to grind out a narrow victory here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Didier Deschamps and his charges.
