France (-105) will aim to secure a third consecutive victory over Belgium (+400) when the teams meet in Düsseldorf on Monday. Les Bleus beat the Belgians in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 UEFA Nations League. That could give them a psychological advantage when these fierce rivals renew hostilities at Merkur-Spiel Arena for Euro 2024.
However, France’s players were below par during the group stage. They are coming off an underwhelming 1-1 draw with Poland, and media speculation suggests a couple of the players have fallen out with manager Didier Deschamps. Belgium’s campaign has not exactly gone to plan either, and the fans booed their team following a 0-0 draw with Ukraine on Wednesday, so it will be interesting to see how they react on Monday and how things shake out when it comes to Euro 2024 betting.
France vs. Belgium live odds
[metabet_core_game_tile query=”564704″ size=”100%x250″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
France vs. Belgium player props
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”soccer/kevin_de_bruyne/player_21168″ size=”100%x250″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”soccer/romelu_lukaku/player_21017″ size=”100%x250″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=”soccer/kylian_mbappe/player_24371″ size=”100%x250″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]
France must find the right balance in attack to win
France only managed to score two goals in three games during the group stage. One was an own-goal, as Austria’s Maximilian Wöber turned Kylian Mbappé’s low cross into his own net on Matchday 1. Mbappé had to leave after breaking his nose in that game, but his team held on for a 1-0 win.
Les Bleus drew 0-0 with the Netherlands in their second group stage game. Mbappé did not recover in time to play, and an attack featuring Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembélé, and Marcus Thuram looked toothless.
The manager dropped Griezmann and Thuram for France’s final group stage game, but an attacking trio of Dembélé, Mbappé, and Bradley Barcola did not look overly threatening. Mbappé scored a penalty, but Les Bleus will be disappointed by their inability to beat a technically limited Poland team. Manager Didier Deschamps will need to find the right balance in attack if they are to beat Belgium in the Round of 16.
Belgium’s path to victory likely includes De Bruyne
The Belgians climbed to the top of the FIFA world rankings in 2018, and they held onto that status for almost four years. However, they failed to win a trophy during that time. The Red Devils finished third at the 2018 World Cup, and they lost in the quarterfinals of the last two European Championships.
Most members of Belgium’s so-called golden generation have faded away. Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, and Mousa Dembélé have retired, while Toby Alderweireld is no longer in the squad. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also is not on Belgium’s Euro 2024 squad, as he had not fully recovered from a long-term injury.
Only two key players are still going strong: Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku. De Bruyne is still arguably the world’s best playmaker, and he put in a superb performance against Romania in the group stage, so he will be central to Belgium’s chances of success on Sunday.
France expected starting 11
Mike Maignan will start in goal for France. Jules Koundé and Theo Hernández are the first-choice full-backs, while William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano have started all three games at the heart of the defense. Les Bleus only conceded once in the group stage, so there is no need for the manager to overhaul his backline.
N’Golo Kanté and Adrien Rabiot started in midfield on Matchday 1, with Marcus Thuram, Antoine Griezmann, and Ousmane Dembélé behind Mbappé in attack. However, France fielded a three-man midfield in its other two group stage games, with Aurélien Tchouaméni slotting in alongside Kanté and Rabiot. If Les Bleus stick with that approach, Griezmann could be benched again on Monday. Mbappé and Dembélé are both likely to start, while Thuram and Bradley Barcola are vying for the other position in attack.
Belgium expected starting 11
Koen Casteels has started in goal for Belgium at this tournament after Thibaut Courtois was deemed unfit to play. Timothy Castagne and Arthur Theate play as full-backs, with Wout Faes supporting veteran Jan Vertonghen in central defense. Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans are likely to start in midfield.
Kevin De Bruyne will play as a No. 10, with Manchester City teammate Jérémy Doku on the left of the attack. The manager has rotated Leandro Trossard and Johan Bakayoko on the right, so one of them will probably start. Striker Romelu Lukaku is yet to score at this tournament, but he has had three goals disallowed, so he will be desperate to find the back of the net on Sunday.
