France will be aiming to do the double over Belgium when both teams clash in Group A2 of the UEFA Nations League. The French have a great record against the Belgians and will be confident of claiming the upper and over their unconvincing hosts.
Belgium head into Monday’s clash off the back of a 2-2 draw with Italy in their previous UNL fixture. They fought back from two goals down with efforts from Maxime de Cuypers and Leandro Trossard earning them a share of the spoils.
While manager Domenico Tedesco will be pleased with the fighting spirit, the result means Belgium have now picked up just one win from three matches in Group A2. Also, the absence of key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku means things could get tricky against the French.
France were in rampant mood last time out in the Nations League as they eased to a 4-1 victory over Israel. Eduardo Camavinga and Christopher Nkunku were both on target in the first half while Matteo Guendouzi and Bradley Barcola added further goals after the break.
Having begun their campaign with defeat to Italy, France have now won their last two matches in the competition. Manager Didier Deschamps will be particularly pleased with Thursday's performance, given the recent spate of retirements and the absence of captain Kylian Mbappe.
How the bookies view it: France to prevail
France have been installed as overwhelming favourites and are priced at 5/4 by Betfred to claim the win. Belgium are considered outsiders among the bookies, with a home win valued at 21/10 by Betfred, who is also offering 5/2 for a draw.
Head to head: France on top
France have a 12-5 advantage with six draws from 23 previous matches against Belgium. The French have also won the last four meetings and triumphed 2-0 in the reverse fixture back in September.
Players to watch: Eyes on Nkunku
Nkunku has impressed for Chelsea this season and appears to have brought that good form to the national team. The forward will be keen to build on his goal last time out and is priced at 9/4 by Betfred to find the net once again.
Trossard showed he can step up for Belgium in the absence of the big guns and could be worth keeping an eye on. The forward is priced at 11/4 by Betfred to get on the score sheet on Monday.
Probable line-ups
Trossard was one of Belgium’s better players in Italy and should retain his place in attack alongside Lois Openda. Johan Bakayoko could be given the nod in attack ahead of Jeremy Doku while Wout Faes should continue at the back.
France could ring in the changes with the likes of Barcola and Guendouzi pushing to start after fine showings off the bench last time out. Marcus Thuram could also replace Randal Kolo Muani in attack while Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba should continue in defence.
Belgium: Casteels, Castagne, Faes, Theate, De Cuypers, Tielemans, Mangala, Trossard, De Ketelaere, Bakayoko, Openda
France: Maignan, Kounde, Konate, Saliba, Hernandez, Guendouzi, Camavinga, Barcola, Olise, Nkunku, Thuram
Anything else catch the eye?
Belgium and France both saw over 3.5 goals in their previous fixtures and a similar outcome is priced at 2/1 by Betfred. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at 4/5 by Betfred.
France have scored in both halves in their last two matches, including the first meeting with Belgium and could be set for a repeat at 21/10 with Betfred.
This UEFA Nations League match between Belgium and France will be played on Oct 14, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Belgium vs France prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
