Netherlands vs France Preview
The European Championships are in full swing with one of the biggest games of the group stage. France will face The Netherlands in a massive Group D decider. The winner is likely to emerge as tournament favourites.
Both teams won their opening games of the competition, but they rode their luck. Meanwhile, France’s Kylian Mbappé suffered a broken nose against the Austrians. There’s a lot to ponder ahead of this key clash. France is the favourite to win this game, but the Dutch have the players to test them. This will be a fascinating contest between two of Europe’s footballing giants.
Netherlands vs France Key Stats and Head-to-Head
Traditionally, France and the Netherlands are two of the continent’s strongest teams. However, on paper, Les Bleus has a superior talent pool. They also have an excellent head-to-head record against the Dutch having won five of their last six meetings. Their last clash saw Kylian Mbappé score a brace at the Amsterdam Arena in a Euro 2024 qualifier. Jonathan Clauss provided a brilliant cross for Real Madrid’s newest superstar after seven minutes. Mbappé finished well as the French took the lead.
Mike Maignan was alert before the break as he saved brilliantly from Xavi Simons. Joey Veerman also wasted a golden opportunity to equalise. The Dutch rued those misses because Mbappé doubled France’s lead after halftime. He scored a glorious goal from outside the box as he put the game beyond the Netherlands.
Quilindschy Hartman scored a consolation goal for the Oranje, but they couldn’t equalise. Ultimately, France came closest to scoring again through Mbappé. But he failed to complete his hat trick as he hit the post. It was a tough day for a young Dutch team, but a better result than their previous meeting. They lost 4-0 at the Stade Des Frances on a miserable day.
The Dutch are more mature now but still have a lot to prove. Ronald Koeman’s side barely beat the Poles in their opening game of Euro 2024. Many analysts thought Poland would struggle without their talismanic captain Robert Lewandowski. But they took a shock lead through Adam Buksa in the 16th minute. This was slightly against the run of play because the Dutch squandered several chances. However, they didn’t panic as they pursued an equaliser, with Cody Gakpo scoring almost 15 minutes later. Xavi Simons was impressive with his movement and all-round play, but the Dutch lacked a cutting edge to take the lead.
Finally, Koeman threw Wout Weghorst into the fray. The big Burnley striker had a brilliant impact as he scored the winner in the 83rd minute. It was lucky for the Dutch as their defence didn’t impress. They must tighten up at the back before they face France’s dangerous forwards.
France also received a stern test in the opening round. The unfancied Austrians went toe-to-toe with Didier Deschamps’ men. This wasn’t the greatest day of Mbappé’s career. He had one of his worst misses ever and suffered a broken nose. Now Mbappé is a doubt for the Netherlands game.
Meanwhile, Antoine Griezmann departed the field with a nasty gash after he collided with an advertising hoarding. Many experts believe that he’s France’s most irreplaceable player and Deschamps will be sweating on his availability. It was also interesting to see that Deschamps opted for Arsenal’s William Saliba alongside Dayot Upamecano at centre-back. Previously, he preferred Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate and even publicly criticised Saliba. However, Saliba played well and France’s defence was stable.
Their midfield was also excellent, with the maligned Adrien Rabiot performing well alongside N’Golo Kante. They provided solidity and incisive passing. There were worries over Kante’s fitness after a season in Saudi Arabia, but he was superb.
This could be a breakout tournament for Xavi Simons. The Dutch attacker is already a Bundesliga star at RB Leipzig. However, the 21-year-old is his country’s most inspiring player and has an opportunity to reach another level. Tijjani Reijnders is another Dutch player who arguably doesn’t have the profile he deserves. The AC Milan star emerged from the Poland game with credit and will have a big battle with the French in midfield.
Mbappé will have a massive influence on this soccer game, even if he doesn’t play. Olivier Giroud may replace him in the starting line-up. The veteran forward is his country’s all-time top scorer with 57 goals in 133 appearances. The tactical battle will also be fascinating. Koeman had a tough start to life as the Netherlands’ head coach, but his approval ratings are higher now. Meanwhile, Deschamps has led France to two World Cup finals with one victory and one European Championship final.
Netherlands vs France Predictions
Prediction: The Netherlands 1 – 2 France
Anyone betting on the Euros should pick France to win this game. They have a stronger and more balanced team than the Netherlands. The Dutch displayed defensive fragility against Poland and France can make them pay because they have devastating attacking talent.
France’s chances of beating the Dutch will increase if Mbappé is available. However, even without him, they remain a dangerous side. Ousmane Dembélé is capable of electric moments while Marcus Thuram is one of soccer’s most underrated players. Their defensive solidity is also impressive. Mike Maignan is a superb goalkeeper and better than his counterpart, Bart Verbruggen. Jules Kounde won the battle to start at right-back over Bayern Munich star Benjamin Pavard. France also has incredible depth with talents like Kingsley Coman, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni on the bench.
The Dutch must improve defensively to beat or even draw with Les Bleus. Stefan de Vrij partnered with Virgil van Dijk against Poland. Koeman may consider replacing de Vrij with Micky van de Ven as the Spurs man has astonishing pace for a central defender. Meanwhile, the Dutch don’t have outstanding options on the bench. They still depend on Weghorst who spent the previous season on loan at Hoffenheim. Donyell Malen came on as a substitute in the Poland game and may be an option.
Memphis Depay and Xavi Simons are the Dutch players who can make a difference against France. The former needs to play like a superstar instead of acting like one. The French team did enough to win their opening game of Euro 2024, but they will need to do better this week. Koeman experimented with the lineup in his first match, perhaps he will settle on a solid 11 for this game.
Our Euro 2024 prediction for this game is for the French side to win by one goal. The Dutch will probably go two goals down before finding stability in the middle of the park. After some changes at halftime, they should find a way past Maignan for a consolation goal. However, the Netherlands lacks the personnel to get a point from this game.
Netherlands vs France Betting Tips
France is a favourite to win this game on our sports betting platform. It’s 11/10 for them to beat the Netherlands, so there’s a chance of a good profit. If you think the Dutch will beat Les Bleus, the same stake would win €23 at 23/10. This is a good price for the French, given their amazing attacking options and the Netherlands’ uninspiring defence. Some people think these teams will cancel each other out. It’s 12/5 for this game to finish in a draw with a potential €24 profit.
Betting on France to score the first goal seems like a wise decision. They have more skilful forwards than the Dutch, who still depend on Wout Weghorst. It’s 8/11 for them to get off the mark before the Oranje. It may be worth backing them to win the first half at 7/4. This time €10 could win €17.50.
Live betting is a great option in this game in case the Dutch start hot. They have some outstanding players like Xavi Simons and Memphis Depay. It’s not unthinkable that they will score first at 6/5. With potential injuries to Griezmann and Mbappé, waiting until the game kicks off could be your best option. There are plenty of attacking options on the bench, but Deschamps would not have planned to play without two of his best players.
So far, the Euros has offered plenty of surprises and excitement. Soccer bets always involve taking a calculated risk for a good reward. Why not bet on Kylian Mbappé to be the tournament’s top goalscorer? France is also the favourite to win Euro 2024 at 4/1. Consider using our welcome bonus to back them without risk.
Netherlands Team News and Predicted Line-Up
Ronald Koeman’s men emerged unscathed from the Poland game. However, he may make some changes after an unconvincing victory. Micky van de Ven came off the bench against the Poles. He may replace Stefan de Vrij. Ryan Gravenberch has an uneasy relationship with Koeman but would offer something different in midfield. Goalscorer Wout Weghorst will probably have to wait for his chance from the bench.
- Dutch Predicted line-up: Bart Verbruggen, Denzel Dumfries, Micky van de Ven, Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Aké, Tijjani Reijnders, Ryan Gravenberch, Joey Veerman, Xavi Simons, Memphis Depay, and Cody Gakpo.
France Team News and Predicted Line-Up
France endured an excellent test against Austria but emerged with credit. Aurelien Tchouameni is an option again after he rejoined team training. He’ll likely make an appearance against the Dutch. Olivier Giroud may start if Mbappé isn’t ready.
Antoine Griezmann’s fitness is arguably a bigger concern because there’s no immediate replacement. The defence held firm against Austria. Deschamps is unlikely to make a change until France plays Poland.
- French Predicted line-up: Mike Maignan, Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Theo Hernandez, Ngolo Kante, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembélé, Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram, and Olivier Giroud.
