Next to the group of death in Group B, EURO 2024 also sees an unpredictable encounter between France, Austria, and the Netherlands in Group D. Clearly in terms of quality, France is still highly rated, but Austria’s recent performances show that they are not an easy opponent.
Expert opinion on the match between France and Austria
There’s no need to say much about the strength of the French national team, a contender for the championship in any tournament they participate in. Not only do they have world-class stars in every position, but Les Bleus are also formidable with the leadership and shrewdness of coach Didier Deschamps. The proof is their two consecutive appearances in the World Cup final, including a successful victory. Despite their strength, the EURO title is something that has eluded the French team, even when they played the final match at home in 2016. Therefore, there is no doubt about the high determination of Mbappe and his teammates on German soil this year; they will surely want to lay their hands on the continental silverware after a 24-year wait.
The first challenge France must face on this journey is the Austrian national team, a group that has undergone a strong transformation under coach Ralf Rangnick in recent times. Despite not assembling many stars and even losing their important captain David Alaba due to injury, the red-and-white team still displays an exciting and energetic style of play. The effectiveness of Ralf Rangnick’s tactics has been clearly demonstrated as Austria has not suffered a defeat in their last 7 matches across all competitions, including 6 victories. The team also had an impressive performance in the qualifying campaign, finishing as the runner-up in Group F, winning 6 out of 8 matches and trailing the group leader Belgium by just 1 point. Compared to their group rivals France and the Netherlands, Austria is somewhat underrated due to the lack of standout players. However, Ralf Rangnick’s team can completely create surprises through their cohesive style of play. The opening match will not be easy for France, especially as they have to cope with the pressure of chasing their rivals while the Netherlands and Poland have played earlier.
Overview of the historical head-to-head record between France and Austria
Throughout their history of competing in the continent, France and Austria are not unfamiliar with each other. In total, the two sides have met 11 times with the balance leaning heavily towards Les Bleus. In the last 5 matches, the blue-and-white team has won 3 times, while Austria has only won once, with one draw between the two teams.
Check the odds from the bookmakers for the match between France and Austria
The French national team possesses a very strong and quality attack, but an overwhelming and head-on attack has never been the style of Les Bleus under coach Didier Deschamps. Instead, France’s strikes are like a lion hunting, drawing their opponents into their style of play before delivering a surprising blow. They will not win by a large margin, but they will know how to handle the match neatly.
On the other front, despite being the underdog, the Austrian national team will not play defensively. The team led by coach Ralf Rangnick always prefers an attacking and scientifically controlled style of play, which is maintained even against strong teams like Germany or Belgium. With such a style of play, France and Austria promise to open up a fiery contest with an exciting tempo.
- Goal Scoring: The star-studded French team, after being held to a 0-0 draw by Canada just before EURO 2024, is clearly eager to regain the feeling of scoring goals. With such firepower facing a free-spirited opponent like the Austrian team, a flurry of goals is very likely to occur.
- French Corner Kicks: Possessing two top wingers and dribblers in Mbappe and Dembele, who have a habit of penetrating the flanks, France is expected to earn a lot of corner kicks in this match.
- Choose France -1: Despite being a formidable opponent, Austria’s overly risky style of play could harm them in this match. Against a world-class counter-attacking team, playing an open game is akin to suicide for Ralf Rangnick’s men.
Team News for the France vs Austria Match
France: Tchouameni is absent due to injury Austria: The possibility of Marcel Sabitzer’s appearance remains uncertain
Predicted Lineups for the France vs Austria Match
- France (4-2-1-3): Maignan, Kounde, Saliba, Konate, Theo Hernandez, Rabiot, Camavinga, Griezmann, Dembele, Mbappe, Marcus Thuram.
- Austria (4-3-3): Lindner, Seiwald, Danso, Lienhart, Wober, Laimer, Schlager, Grillitsch, Baumgartner, Okafor, Schmid.
Predicted Score for the Match: France 3-1 Austria
