PREVIEW
France and the Netherlands are set to open their qualifying campaigns for Euro 2024, with both teams expected to secure a place in the finals.
However, finishing at the top of their group will be a priority for preferential seeding at the tournament. The Netherlands will be seeking to win back-to-back matches against France for the first time in over 90 years, following their 2-0 victory over them in their last meeting in November 2018.
The Dutch have not won any of their last nine away matches against France and will be hoping to end this run of poor form.
Ronald Koeman returns as the Netherlands’ coach, having previously overseen 11 wins in 20 matches during his first spell. Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps will take charge of his 140th game as France’s manager, already a national team record. Despite winning the World Cup and UEFA Nations League, Deschamps has yet to win the UEFA European Championships, after losing to Portugal in the Euro 2016 final.
The Netherlands’ Daley Blind could make his 100th appearance for the national team in the upcoming match, becoming the ninth player to reach the century mark for the country. However, he is expected to start on the bench, with Nathan Ake or Tyrell Malacia preferred in Koeman’s starting XI. The last Dutch player to reach 100 caps was Robin van Persie in 2015.
RECENT MEETINGS
In their recent meeting in 2018, the Dutch ended a run of five successive defeats against France with a 2-0 victory in Rotterdam. This win was their first over France in 10 years and their first victory against them since a 4-1 win in the group stages of Euro 2008. The Dutch eventually finished as losing finalists to Portugal in the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League.
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RECENT FORM
The Netherlands are unbeaten in their last 20 international matches, winning 14 and drawing six, including a penalty shootout victory against Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. They have scored in every one of these 20 internationals and have lost just one of their last 17 away games. France, on the other hand, lost four games in 2022 and have lost two of their last three internationals at home. However, they did manage a 2-0 home win over Austria in September 2022.
KEY PLAYERS
Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé, at only 24 years old, has already made a significant impact on the French national team with 66 caps and 36 goals, putting him on track to break the record held by Olivier Giroud.
He has scored an impressive 18 goals in his last 16 appearances for Les Bleus, including a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina. Mbappé’s domestic performance for Paris Saint-Germain has also been outstanding, with 31 goals and 7 assists in 33 games this season. Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored more goals (42) and has more goal involvements (47) than Mbappé (38) in the top five European leagues.
Memphis Depay
Memphis Depay has proven to be reliable under the Dutch coach Ronald Koeman. During Koeman’s first stint as Dutch coach, Depay was involved in more than half of their goals (22 out of 43) with 11 goals and 11 assists. Koeman convinced Depay to join Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer of 2021, where he was involved in more goals (6 – 4 goals, 2 assists in 13 games) than any other Barca player under Koeman’s management.
Depay has also performed well against France in the past, contributing to three of the Netherlands’ last five goals against Les Bleus. He has scored the most goals (22) and provided the most assists (9) for the Netherlands since the start of 2021, with his 31 goal involvements being 19 more than any other Dutch player during this period. Depay’s significance in the upcoming game will be heightened due to the absence of key players Denzel Dumfries and Frenkie de Jong, while Cody Gakpo may also miss out due to illness.
The upcoming match between France and the Netherlands is highly anticipated, and both teams will be looking to start their Euro 2024 qualifying campaigns with a win. With the Netherlands in excellent form and seeking to end their poor run against France, it promises to be an exciting game.
