Zinedine Zidane made his debut as France manager with a win, but Les Bleus’ performance was far from satisfactory, and they now face a far more dangerous opponent – Belgium, fresh from an impressive victory over Italy.
The first round of the UEFA Nations League saw a number of managerial debuts, with Mark van Bommel and Zinedine Zidane among the winners with Belgium and France respectively.
The Red Devils capitalised on Italy’s defensive lapses and scored two unanswered goals, whilst also displaying their most solid defensive performance in a long time.
Once again, they proved that it takes a truly exceptional performance to beat them, given that Belgium’s only defeat since March 2025 came against the World Champions, Spain.
France are one of the teams capable of beating them, but they will have to do so without Kylian Mbappé, who picked up an injury in the match against Turkey.
Les Bleus did, however, win thanks to his goal before the injury, but that 1–0 victory is unlikely to have pleased Zinedine Zidane. Turkey were on a par with France, even finishing with a higher xG.
How the bookies view it: They back Zidane’s boys
There’s no doubt that France will be the favourites whenever the two teams meet, but in this period of change, the odds might be a little too high.
At the moment, you can back Belgium at 27/10, a draw at 3/1 or France at 9/10.
Recent head-to-head: France won five in a row
Belgium and France have played each other dozens of times over the last century, but in recent years, Les Bleus have certainly had the upper hand, with five consecutive victories.
Two years ago, they were in the same group in the UNL again, and France won 2–1 away from home. In fact, Belgium have not won as hosts since 1981.
Players to watch: Les Bleus will rely on Olise’s genius
Belgium certainly have a real gem in Mika Godts and, as I predicted, he scored on his official debut against Italy. The 21-year-old may not yet be a first-team regular at PSG, but his previous season at Ajax showed that when given the chance, he knows what to do.
France, meanwhile, will have to get the win without Kylian Mbappé, but even without him, there is hardly a more star-studded national team at the moment. Michael Olise provided the assist for the winning goal against Italy, just as I predicted, and I expect him to dictate the play once again.
Probable line-ups
Belgium: Lammens, De Cuyper, Mechele, Ngoy, Castagne, Raskin, Tielemans, Godts, De Bruyne, Moreira, De Ketelaere
France: Maignan, Truffert, Lacroix, Upamecano, Kounde, Cherki, Kone, De Cunha, Doue, Dembele, Olise
Anything else catch the eye?
I certainly expected more from France in their first match, but it looks as though it will take longer than expected for them to get to grips with Zinedine Zidane’s style.
In my view, the high odds on Belgium are a brilliant opportunity for a double chance bet, and I reckon there’s a very good chance we won’t see a winner on Monday evening.
The Red Devils haven’t lost at home since 2024, and although France could spring to life at any moment, I reckon we’ll see a much more evenly matched contest than the bookmakers are anticipating. In any case, though, I expect goals at both ends.
GambleAware