Israel and France will resume their UEFA Nations League campaigns with a clash against each other at the Bozsik Arena in Budapest.
It is time for yet another international break as national teams gear up to resume their UEFA Nations League campaigns. France, who lost their opening group fixture against Italy, will be looking for their second win, while their opponent Israel will look to register their first points.
The Skyblue and Whites find themselves in a literal group of death. They lost their opening group game against Belgium 3-1 before suffering yet another defeat at the hands of Italy on Matchday 2.
Now, they will face a star-studded French team. Israel will have a tough time squaring up against Les Bleus. But they will surely be thinking of creating an upset here. While France started off with a defeat at the hands of Italy, they did put up a clinical performance against Belgium to win 2-0 and they are expected to come out on top against Israel.
But, they won’t be taking anything for granted and will be looking to put up a solid performance. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Israel
Israel will be without the services of Eli Dasa and Dor Turgeman for this round of fixtures because of injury. Manor Solomon, who was called up to the squad, has reportedly stayed back in England as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
The home team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Yoav Gerafi will be in goal. Ilay Feingold and Doron Leidner will be the full-backs, while Raz Shlomo and Idan Nachmias will feature in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Mohammad Abu Fani will form the double pivot alongside Gavriel Kanichowsky. They will look to shield the backline and ensure France do not dominate the proceedings.
In attack, Liel Abada and Oscar Gloukh will provide width to their attacks, while Dor Peretz will feature as the number ten. Finally, with Solomon unavailable, Tai Baribo will lead the line for Israel against France.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gerafi; Feingold, Nachimas, Shlomo, Leidner; Abu Fani, Kanichowsky; Abada, Peretz, Gloukh; Baribo
France
The away team will be without Antoine Griezmann, who has retired from international football, and skipper Kylian Mbappe, who has been given time off to recover. Meanwhile, Dayot Upamecano has withdrawn from the team because of a thigh injury.
France will go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation where Mike Maignan will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez will feature as the full-backs, while the highly sought-after William Saliba will pair up with Ibrahima Konate in the heart of the defence.
Aurelien Tchouameni who will wear the captain’s armband in the absence of Mbappe will feature as a defensive midfielder. PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery and Real Madrid teammate Eduardo Camavinga will be in his support. The trio will look to dominate the ball and ensure they dictate the pace of the game.
Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola should feature on the flanks. They will provide width to their attacks, while Marcus Thuram will spearhead the attack for the away side against Israel this midweek.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Konate, Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Dembele, Thuram, Barcola
Key Stats
- France and Israel have faced each other nine times across competitions. Les Bleus have won four of those meetings while the Skyblue and White have one win to their name.
- The two teams last met during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
- The French team have kept a clean sheet in five out of their last nine meeting against Israel.
- Les Bleus have won just three out of their last seven away games.
- Israel have lost four out of their last five games in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Marcus Thuram
With Kylian Mbappe unavailable Marcus Thuram will most likely get an opportunity to lead the line for France. The 27-year-old has been in fine form since making the move to Inter Milan, and he has started the 2024/25 season in some fashion with seven goals and three assists in seven league games. He will look to get on the scoresheet and help his team secure all three points.
Prediction
Israel 0-3 France
France have a much better squad in comparison to Israel, while they will be without their star forward and captain Kylian Mbappe, Les Bleus still have enough firepower in their squad to get the better of the home team. While Israel will try to create an upset, it is unlikely to happen here The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for France.