Netherlands - France predictions and free betting tips [21/06/2024]

This evening at the Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, one of the most anticipated matches of the second round of Group D at Euro 2024 will take place, where the Netherlands national team will face France.

Probable Line-ups

Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen, Denzel Dumfries, Stefan de Vrij, Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Jordy Schouten, Tijjani Reijnders, Joey Veerman, Xavi Simons, Memphis Depay.

France: Mike Maignan, Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Theo Hernandez, Antoine Griezmann, N'Golo Kante, Adrien Rabiot, Ousmane Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani, Marcus Thuram.

Netherlands

The Netherlands team began their Euro 2024 campaign with a victory over Poland by a score of 2-1 in a Group D match held in Hamburg. The game started with intense attacks from the "Oranges," and in the 2nd minute, Cody Gakpo almost opened the scoring, but his shot missed the target. Poland soon responded with an unexpected goal in the 9th minute when Adam Buksa, replacing the injured Robert Lewandowski, scored a header following a cross from Piotr Zielinski, outplaying Denzel Dumfries. It was Buksa's first goal for the Polish national team. The Netherlands quickly reacted to the conceded goal, and in the 29th minute Nathan Ake made an impressive run and passed to Cody Gakpo, whose shot, taking a deflection off an opponent, found the back of Wojciech Szczesny’s net. This goal was well-deserved for the "Oranges" for their persistence and attacking efforts in the first half. The Dutch continued to apply pressure, but missed chances by Memphis Depay and Gakpo created a sense that the Netherlands might not be able to take the lead. Poland tried to respond, especially in the second half, with several good opportunities, but without Lewandowski in their lineup, their attacks were not as effective.

In the second half, both teams continued to create dangerous moments but couldn't convert their chances. In the final 10 minutes of the game, coach Ronald Koeman made a key substitution, bringing on Wout Weghorst. The former Manchester United forward needed only two minutes to latch onto a ball after Nathan Ake's pass and beat Szczesny, securing the win for the Netherlands. This goal was the winner and Weghorst, who had previously made his mark at the 2022 World Cup, proved once again his importance to the team. The Dutch managed to snatch the victory despite a tough game and numerous missed opportunities.

France

In their first match at Euro 2024 in Düsseldorf, the French national team showed an unconvincing performance but edged past Austria 1-0. Under Didier Deschamps, the French dominated the pitch, aggressively attacking the right flank of their opponent's defence. Kylian Mbappe was particularly active, and despite a nose injury, he had a significant impact on the game. Deschamps moved him to the left flank during the match, with Marcus Thuram playing more centrally.

The game began with a fast pace from the French side, who confidently controlled the ball, creating dangerous moments at Austria's goal. However, Austria should have scored first in the 32nd minute when Christoph Baumgartner broke through to the goal but shot straight at Mike Maignan's foot. Almost immediately, France scored. The goal was somewhat fortuitous and involved Mbappe curling and curling the ball on the right side of Austria’s defence, then slipping past Mwene in a tiny space, slicing the ball into the centre of the six-yard box, where defender Maximilian Wober headed it into his own net. In the second half, there were very few chances. Mbappe had a chance to double the score, but his 55th-minute shot from 11 metres missed the target. Despite Austria’s attempts to equalise, the French team confidently controlled the game, defending against all attacks and maintaining their slim advantage until the end of the match.

Head-to-Head Meetings

The Netherlands and France national teams have a rich history of direct encounters, especially in recent years. In the last qualifying matches for Euro 2024, France won twice against the Netherlands. In the first match on 24 March 2023, the French decided the outcome quickly, scoring three goals by the 30th minute thanks to efforts from Antoine Griezmann, Dayot Upamecano, and Kylian Mbappe. In the return match on 13 October, France again demonstrated their superiority, winning 2-1 with a brace from Mbappe.

In the Nations League 2018-2019, the teams also met twice. The Netherlands won the home match 2-0 on 16 November 2018 but lost away 1-2. In the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, France also emerged victorious twice, including a 4-0 home win and a 1-0 away win. The last time the teams met in the group stage of Euro 2008, the Netherlands handedly beat France 4-1, with a brace from Robben and goals from Van Persie and Sneijder.

Match Prediction: Netherlands vs France

The status of Mbappe for tonight's match is unclear, but Kylian trained in a mask yesterday. In their first match, France displayed boring football and had only 2-3 chances to score. Meanwhile, the Netherlands missed far more chances, and in the upcoming match, I expect a total of more than 2.5 goals.

Corner Kick Prediction

Both teams play via the flanks with the involvement of high-class fullbacks. I'll bet on a total of over 9.5 corners at 1.94.