One of the most prominent group fixtures of the 2024 UEFA European Championship will see two elite teams fighting for the points to claim the top spot in Group D.
The Netherlands are in action against a France side who finished top of their Euro 2024 qualifying group with an undefeated record. This heavyweight clash sees the sixth-ranked side in the world coming up against the No. 2 national team.
The last time they met, Kylian Mbappe was the hero as he netted a brace to give France a hard-fought victory over their counterparts and secure a place in this finals. It continued a streak of seven wins from 11 encounters, but the Dutch are undefeated in three European Championship meetings with the French.
Ronald Koeman’s second spell with the Oranje was introduced to go back to a 4-3-3 system, but their first match since the 2022 FIFA World Cup was a devastating 4-0 defeat to that tournament’s runners-up after a blistering start, which saw them three goals behind after only 21 minutes. However, Memphis Depay and Nathan Ake got on the scoresheet in a 3-0 defeat of Gibraltar a few days later to get their first points on the board.
The UEFA Nations League finals ended in two defeats for the Dutch in June but they resumed the Euros qualifiers with successive wins over Greece and the Republic of Ireland. France got the better of Netherlands once again in Amsterdam yet Koeman’s men clinched their ticket to Germany thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time penalty in the next game against Greece.
Another lone goal for the already-qualified Dutchmen was enough to beat Ireland in the return leg while they ended the series in style with a 6-0 thumping of group minnows Gibraltar.
Calvin Stengs scored a hat-trick and was joined by Mats Wieffer, Teun Koopmeiners and Cody Gakpo on the scoresheet as the Netherlands closed for the calendar year on a high.
Koeman’s side must once again play France in the final tournament and it is safe to say they are already sick of the sight of Kylian Mbappe & co. Although the identity of the final team in Group D is unknown until after the playoffs, Austria will also pose a stiff challenge to make it out of the group.
They must play to win against undoubtedly their biggest challengers in the group and having lost to only the French during qualifying, any positive result could put them in the driving seat to advance.
Didier Deschamps’ men are not only group favorites but one of the biggest teams in the entire tournament, so they must emerge as group winners. Les Blues qualified for the Euros with an undefeated streak of seven wins and a draw, as they scored 29 goals and conceded only three times.
Following their epic but fruitless performance in the World Cup final against Argentina, France reconvened for their Euro 2024 qualifying series. It got their campaign off to the perfect start with a 4-0 thumping of the Netherlands.
Benjamin Pavard’s goal decided the away game in Ireland, and they kept up their good run through the summer with wins and clean sheets against Gibraltar and Greece. There were no qualms about dispatching Ireland and the Netherlands again, but the French finally conceded their first goal on Matchday 6 thanks to Quilindschy Hartman’s late strike.
The 2018 World Cup winners turned on the style at the Allianz Riviera in Nice when decimating a sorry Gibraltar side 14-0, a record scoreline in their history. However, the chance to finish the qualifying campaign with a 100% record ended as Greece earned a 2-2 draw.
France will have played Ralf Rangnick’s Austria on the opening day of Euro 2024, and the match against Holland presents an opportunity to stake a place for the top spot in Group D. Deschamps has become a master at navigating significant tournaments but he will be preparing his side to avoid the kind of complacency that saw them crash out at the Last 16 stage of Euro 2020.
Tournament football is tense and decided in moments. Hence, winning teams are often built on a solid defensive foundation. France will be well aware of this, having kept four clean sheets in their 2018 World Cup triumph but just one in 2022.
Beyond all their world-class attacking talent, the test is whether France is willing to defend their right to stay in the competition.
Match tickets
This mouth-watering game will be played at the Red Bull Arena on Friday, 21 June 2024, with kick-off scheduled for 8 PM UK time. Tickets for the game are available on sale on the UEFA website in two phases to allocate access to supporters.
It promises to be an epic clash between two teams eyeing a statement win against their rivals. Therefore, the fans will create a unique atmosphere before and during the game. The Red Bull Arena in Leipzig has a capacity of over 40,000 seats but you can expect it to be sold out for this exciting game.
Any supporters looking to purchase Netherlands vs France tickets may need help via official channels due to the sheer overload of ticket requests. Yet, others may be lucky enough to find one on a ticket resale site.
Team news
Jurrien Timber, Sven Botman, Tyrell Malacia, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt are all injured currently. Still, they are much expected to be fit enough to make the Euro 2024 squad, barring any further developments.
Kingsley Coman is the only France regular currently out injured but given the depth of quality available, they are capable of fielding an all-star selection regardless.
Line-ups
The Dutch have rebuilt their starting 11 in recent years to return to their glory days. While there is no clear star player save for captain Van Dijk, Xavi Simons is one to keep an eye on as he would be a key attacking weapon for the Oranje.
Netherlands: Verbruggen; Geertruida, Van Dijk, Aké, Hartman; De Roon, Veerman; Dumfries, Reijnders, Simons; Weghorst
The French will be looking to assert their recent dominance over the Dutch, so they will be trusting their strongest team to get the job done. Dayot Upamecano fights with his hands to keep his place ahead of the impressive William Saliba. In contrast, Randal Kolo Muani would have to contend with Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram for the striking role.
France: Maignan; Clauss, Konate, Saliba, Herandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Kolo Muani
Prediction
Two bold, attack-minded teams will take to the pitch, and the audience is in for an exciting affair. The winner of this game is likely to also top the group so that France will mark this down as a decisive moment in their campaign.
Considering the relative lack of tournament experience or a good record against France, the Netherlands may need help under the pressure of this game.
Netherlands 1-3 France
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