France will face Belgium for the first time since their last meeting at Euro 2024. In that game, Les Bleus emerged as winners with a 1:0 victory. Can the Red Devils avenge their Round of 16 Euro loss? Will France triumph? Our France vs Belgium predictions guide previews the game.
The opening round in the A2 Nations League group way completely different for the teams, as France lost to Italy 1-3 on the home soil, while Belgium easily past Israel 3-0. However, the opponents’ caliber is too different to directly compare the games, while the remaining five matches influence the situation significantly.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | UEFA Nations League 2024-25, League A, Group A2, Matchday 2 |
| ⚽️ Venue: | Parc Olympique Lyonnais, Décines-Charpieu, France |
| 🗓️ Date: | 9 September 2024 |
| ⏰ Time: | 18:45 GMT on Monday |
The best bookmakers for football betting have offered odds of 1.70 (2/3) for France to win this match. Belgium have odds of 5.00 (4/1) to triumph. France vs Belgium odds for a draw are offered at 3.60 (13/5).
Belgium has managed just one victory over France in their last five encounters, with France winning the last three games.
| Standings | Group A2 Teams | Matches Played | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Italy | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | France | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Israel | 1 | 0 |
The two highest-ranked teams in the group will automatically advance to the quarterfinals of the 2024-25 Nations League. The third-place team will compete in relegation playoffs, and the fourth-place team will be relegated to Division B.
Despite France was considered the strongest team in the group, they lost their first home game to Italy without chances. Of course, they still have chances even for first place in the quartet, but their other home game against Belgium transforms into a must-win clash. Belgium isn’t under much pressure and can even lose this game without serious consequences, but the first matches in the group showed a much better game organization in the Red Devils’ squad.
France reached the semi-finals of this year’s Euros, but they were eliminated by eventual champions Spain. French manager Didier Deschamps faced criticism for his conservative tactics at the Euros. However, he will remain at the helm and lead Les Bleus into the UEFA Nations League.
Despite winning the 2021 Nations League, France struggled in their last outing of this tournament. They finished third in their group at the last tournament and lost their opening game in the new addition. Barcola opened the scoreline for Les Bleus in the first minute, but Italy came back convincingly, scoring three goals to beat the hosts.
Adrien Rabiot and Benjamin Pavard were dropped, while Michael Olise and Manu Kone played their first matches for Les Blues. However, a disappointing game against Italy may significantly impact the starting 11 against Belgium as Deschamps can seriously shake up the squad.
Belgium had a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, winning just one of four matches before being knocked out by France in the Round of 16. This early exit deepened doubts about coach Domenico Tedesco’s ability to lead a talented squad successfully.
As they enter the UEFA Nations League, Belgium will aim for a top-two finish in Group 2 to secure a quarter-final spot. The Red Devils started their campaign against Israel pretty confidently, scoring easy goals and could increase the lead even more than 3-0.
Romelu Lukaku has been left out of the squad to work on his fitness and will be replaced by Lois Openda. Other notable misses include Thibaut Courtois and Leandro Trossard, but Belgium has enough talented youngsters to replace them on the pitch.
Here are our France vs Belgium betting predictions:
3 (100%)
0
Before losing to Italy, France was unbeaten in its last five home matches and has won its last three meetings against Belgium. France’s semi-final loss to Spain was also a game that could go both ways, although the Spaniards looked better.
At the same time, Belgium has managed just one victory in its past seven encounters and was looking tired on Euro 24. Moreover, their struggles in Euro 2024 raised up the question of coach change, and the convincing victory over Israel came on time. However, with all the respect to Israel, France is a team of a different caliber, and Belgium is historically struggling against Les Blues. Now, France should recover from the poor defeat to Italy and win their home game to increase their chances for playoffs. The best bookies in France favor Les Bleus to grab the win with odds of 1.70 (2/3), and we believe it should happen with the host looking much angrier and more dangerous.
1 (50%)
(50%) 1
Didier Deschamps’ conservative tactics have led to under 2.5 goals in six of France’s last eight matches. Similarly, five of Belgium’s last seven games have followed the same trend. Their recent head-to-head encounters also show a pattern of low-scoring games, with four of their previous meetings ending with fewer than three goals. A similar outcome is expected here as Les Blues should be much better focused and cut the visitor’s offensive plans.
0
(100%) 2
The French national team has demonstrated remarkable defensive prowess in recent matches. Les Bleus have kept a clean sheet in six of their last nine games. This defensive solidity was also evident in their July 2024 victory over Belgium, where they secured a 1-0 win. Meanwhile, Belgium has faced challenges in finding the net during the Euros, as they scored in only one match, drawing blanks in three other encounters. It’s unlikely that the Red Devils will experience a significant improvement in their attacking efficiency overnight, even after beating Israel three to nil. So we expect a defensive game as Belgium may bet on having a clean sheet in the away game, with France also aiming for a safer game plan that can lead to minimum goals.
Here are our France vs Belgium betting picks:
Based on their previous meetings, we expect France to win on home turf. Use our France vs Belgium betting tips to stake on any legal Belgian bookmakers and win extra cash.
