France, one of the leading contenders for Euro 2024, begins their Group D adventure on Monday, with a late start against Austria in Dusseldorf. Kylian Mbappe hopes to lead his team to a second major international trophy after winning the 2018 World Cup, having been eliminated in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020 four years ago.
Didier Deschamps played a trick by recalling N'Golo Kante since he has the potential to make a difference in this tournament. With Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann in top form, Les Bleus have a real chance of winning this time.
Austria are not one of Europe's best teams, ranking 25th in the world by FIFA and placing second in their qualifying group behind Belgium, but they may pose issues at times. Since the completion of Euros qualification, they have drawn with Switzerland, hammered Turkey 6-1, and defeated Germany 2-0.
Under Ralf Rangnick's supervision, Austria has developed into a great squad that is difficult to beat owing to their tight defence and ability to push opponents into mistakes. They had a great qualifying campaign, finishing second to Belgium and qualifying for the Euros.
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Here are the predictions, betting tips and odds for Austria vs France:
Prediction:
France 3-0 Austria - Austria had a strong record under Ralf Rangnick. Making them a difficult team to beat. Despite Austria's previous dominance, France should win this match. Mbappe and Griezmann are in great form, so expect them to win this one.
Odds -
France win | +200 |
Draw | +150 |
Austria win | +250 |
Both teams to score | Y: +135 N: -140 |
Over / Under 2.5 goals |
O: -170 U: +130 |
France -1.5 goals |
+190 |
Austria +1.5 goals |
+150 |
Betting Tips:
France is a difficult one to understand. They always appear to turn on the jets in important games, but they tend to coast until then. They annihilated Luxembourg in their first pre-tournament friendly before stumbling to a 0-0 draw with a spirited Canada team under new management.
Austria is not among Europe's football elite, but they are capable of keeping games tight against the most powerful teams. They have not been beaten by more than one goal since September 2022, when they were defeated 3-1 by Croatia, a record of 16 games that includes victories over Italy and Germany, draws with Belgium and Switzerland, and a solitary defeat by one goal to Belgium.
France has been inconsistent in their ability to convert opportunities, but it will not prevent them from challenging the goalie throughout the encounter. And the guy up front, France's all-time leading goal scorer, will play a critical part in this.