Israel will be hoping to bring an end to their losing streak when they hit the road to square up against France on Thursday evening.
France will be looking to make it four wins in a row in the UEFA Nations League when they host bottom-placed Israel in the penultimate matchday at Stade de France on Thursday night.
The home team kick-started their UEFA Nations League campaign with a disappointing defeat at the hands of Italy. However, they did get things back on track after that and have won their last three outings.
Les Bleus are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Belgium. Despite Aurelien Tchouameni getting sent off, they managed to get hold of the lead. Didier Deschamps’s men are just a point behind Italy in League A Group 2 and will look to put pressure on Azzurri ahead of their reverse fixture on the final matchday.
The visitors are bottom of the group; they have lost all four of their fixtures so far and will be hoping to get something on the board by creating an upset against France. Israel are heading into this fixture on the back of a 4-1 defeat against Italy, and they are not going to find it easy against a star-studded French team. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
France
Star forward Kylian Mbappe is once again not a part of the squad for this international break. Meanwhile, Wesley Fofana, Loic Bade, and Aurelien Tchouameni are all out injured. Lucas Chevalier has received his first call-up, while the experienced duo of N’Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot have been recalled into the squad.
Didier Deschamps’s men will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mike Maignan should be an automatic pick in goal. Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez will continue to be the full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate should partner William Saliba in the heart of the defence.
N’Golo Kante should pair up with Eduardo Camavinga in the centre of the park. The duo will look to protect the backline and at the same time provide a base to attack. Ousmane Dembele will feature on the right flank, while Bradley Barcola should take charge on the left. Michael Olise will take up the no. 10 role behind Randal Kolo Muani, who will lead the line for France vs Israel.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Saliba, Hernandez; Kante, Camavinga; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; Kolo Muani
Israel
Dor Turgeman has pulled out of the squad because of an injury. Omri Glazer is unavailable, but Israel do have a boost as skipper Eli Dasa, who missed the last round of fixtures, is back in the squad.
Meanwhile, Manor Solomon is also back in the mix, but it remains to be whether he will be able to break into the starting XI. Israel will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Daniel Peretz will be in goal. Eli Dasa should start in the heart of the defence alongside Ilay Feingold and Idan Nachmias.
Liel Abada and Dolev Haziza should feature on the flanks as wing-backs, while Mohammad Abu Fani and Gabi Kanichowsky will take a more central role in midfield. They will look to protect the back three.
Oscar Gloukh and Omri Gandelman will feature as the attacking midfielder. While they will also have significant defensive duties, the duo will be the chief creators. Meanwhile, Tai Baribo will continue to lead the line for the away team against France.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Peretz; Dasa, Feingold, Nachimas; Abada, Kanichowsky, Abu Fani, Haziza; Gloukh, Gandelman; Baribo
Key Stats
- France have won five out of the ten meetings between the two teams with Israel coming out on top just once.
- Les Bleus have scored a minimum of two goals in four out of their last six Nations League games.
- Israel have lost six out of their last seven games across competitions.
- Didier Deschamps’s men are unbeaten in their last three home games against the Skyblue and Whites, recording two wins and keeping a clean sheet in all three of those fixtures.
- The home team have the joint-third-best attack in the competition having scored nine goals in four outings.
Player to Watch
Bradley Barcola
The 22-year-old PSG forward has made an exceptional start to the new season. He has been involved in 11 Ligue 1 games and has ended up contributing towards 12 goals (10 goals, 2 assists). Barcola will occupy the left flank in Kylian Mbappe’s absence while looking to ensure he helps France secure all three points.
Prediction
France 4-0 Israel
Israel have lost all their UEFA Nations League fixtures so far, and that is unlikely to change given the difference in quality between the two squads. While the visitors will hope to create an upset, they do not have enough quality in their ranks to take down the French team. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 4-0 win for Les Bleus.