France vs Belgium – UEFA Nations League – Preview, Team News and Updates

2024-09-09 ScoreWaves Staff

France vs Belgium is one of the oldest rivalries in football and these two European heavyweights meet again at Lyon for a game which promises to grip the attention of every football fan around the globe.

Belgium started their UEFA Nations League campaign with a comfortable win over Israel. However, the same can’t be said about France. Les Bleus were put to the sword by Italy in the opening Nations League game despite taking an early lead. Now, France look to get their Nations League campaign back on track with a win against their traditional rivals, Belgium. So, which team will come out on top in today’s crucial match?

France vs Belgium – Match Preview

France, under Didier Deschamps, have faltered to deceive in recent months. While a trip to the 2024 Euros semifinals looks impressive on paper, Les Bleus’ performances during the tournament left a lot to be desired. France managed to score just four goals in six matches during the tournament. Unfortunately, French fans who were hoping for a much-improved performance against Italy in Nations League opener were left disappointed. Although in-form Bradley Barcola opened the scoring inside 13 seconds, France were second best for the majority of the game.

Following a promising start, France allowed Italy to ship in three goals, that too at Parc Des Princes. After already being three points adrift from their main rivals, Les Bleus next game against Belgium is a must-win match, especially after UEFA changed the format of the Nations League. Now, the top two teams from each group advance into the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the last placed team is relegated, and the third-placed team must take part in a relegation play-off. So, the pressure is on France to perform.

However, Belgium will make it hard for Les Bleus to secure a win. The Red Devils have started their Nations League campaign in impressive fashion, securing a 3-1 win over Israel. Manchester City and Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne scored twice, while Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemens added Belgium’s third. After a disappointing Euros where Belgium failed to advance past the group stage, coach Domenico Tedesco is keen to make a statement with a win against France. Tedesco aims to turn the page on his rough start and secure a top-two spot in their group, before setting his sights on the 2026 World Cup.

Belgium missed out on the last Nations League finals, and improving on their best finish of fourth place in 2021 would signal they’re heading in the right direction. All eyes will be on this clash to see which team can prove they’re back on track.

France vs Belgium – Team News and Updates

Belgium will be without Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois, who continues his self-imposed absence due to a long-standing rift with coach Domenico Tedesco. Also missing is all-time top scorer Romelu Lukaku, as the new Napoli signing has been rested. Adding to the changes, veteran defender Jan Vertonghen has retired from international duty, and Arsenal's Leandro Trossard wasn't selected. Tedesco opted to give some younger players a chance against Israel, with Maxim De Cuyper, Celtic’s new addition Arne Engels, and Borussia Dortmund teenager Julien Duranville all getting minutes on the pitch.

On the French side, Bayern Munich's Michael Olise, who impressed during France’s silver-medal run at the Olympics, got his first call-up and started on Friday. He’ll be battling with Ousmane Dembele to keep his spot in the lineup. Didier Deschamps also introduced Bradley Barcola against Italy, and it paid off, but he’s largely stuck with his Euro 2024 squad. However, Adrien Rabiot, currently a free agent, and Inter Milan's Benjamin Pavard have been dropped.

After conceding three goals to Italy, defenders Jules Kounde and Dayot Upamecano could be promoted from the bench to shore up the backline, while Marcus Thuram and Randal Kolo Muani are ready to add firepower to France’s attack as alternative options up front.