A straightforward win is the target for France as they battle Austria in their opening Group D fixture at the European Championship.
The former champions face a solid Austrian side playing with confidence but should still have the upper hand thanks to their superior quality.
Austria have never gone beyond the round of 16 at the European Championship and will be looking to better that record at this year’s tournament. They claimed six wins from eight matches during the qualifiers and finished second behind Belgium.
The Austrians are always an interesting side to watch and will be counting on the experience of players like Marko Arnautovic in Germany. Ralf Rangnick’s side head into Monday’s opener with six wins from their last seven matches but were held to a 1-1 draw by Switzerland in their final warm-up fixture.
France are always ranked among the favourites in any major competition and this time it is no different. Didier Deschamps’ men have reached the final in three of the last four international tournaments and will be targeting a similar run this year.
Led by Kylian Mbappe, France have one of the best squads available at the moment and breezed through the qualifiers, with seven wins and a draw from eight matches. Their build-up to the tournament was solid enough as they claimed a 3-0 victory over Luxembourg before playing out a 0-0 draw with Canada.
How the bookies view it: France overwhelmingly fancied
France are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 8/15 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Austria is valued at 5/1 while a draw is set at odds of 16/5.
Head to head: Austrians no match
France have an 8-2 advantage with two draws from 12 previous matches against Austria. The French also ran out 2-0 winners in a UEFA Nations League fixture back in 2022 with Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud getting the goals.
Last five H2H duels:
- 22/09/2022 (UEFA Nations League) – France 2-0 Austria
- 10/06/2022 (UEFA Nations League) – Austria 1-1 France
- 14/10/2009 (World Cup Qualifiers) – France 3-1 Austria
- 06/09/2008 (World Cup Qualifiers) – Austria 3-1 France
- 28/03/2007 (International Friendly) – France 1-0 Austria
Players to watch: Mbappe front and centre
Mbappe often shoulders much of the attacking threat for France and has found the net in seven of his last eight international appearances. The forward was also on target in the last meeting with Austria and is priced at 10/11 by Betfred to maintain his scoring run.
Michael Gregoritsch has caught the eye for Austria in recent times with six goals in his last 10 international appearances. The forward could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 16/5 by bet365.
Probable line-ups
Given his recent form, Michael Gregoritsch could be the preferred choice to lead the line for Austria ahead of Arnautovic. Christophe Baumgartner should feature in midfield alongside Marcel Sabitzer while Maximillian Wober should line up at the heart of the defence.
Mbappe was a second-half substitute in France’s last warm-up game and should return to the starting line-up on Monday. He will be joined in attack by Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann while Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano should partner in central defence.
Austria: Linder, Daniliuc, Lienhart, Danso, Wober, Laimer, Sabitzer, Schmid, Baumgartner, Wimmer, Gregoritsch
France: Maignan, Clauss, Upamecano, Konate, Hernandez, Kante, Camavinga, Thuram, Mbappe, Griezmann, Giroud
Anything else catch the eye?
Austria and France have quality in attack and could be set to produce goals on Monday. Both teams could be backed to score at 4/5 by Betfred, who is also offering 4/6 for over 2.5 goals while over 3.5 goals is priced at 7/4.
France are priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, so win and over 2.5 goals could be considered at 5/4 with Betfred. Given their multiple attacking options, the French could also be backed to score in both halves at 13/10 with Betfred.
This Euro 2024 match between Austria and France will be played on Jun 17, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Austria vs France prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
