Euro 2024: Mbappe or De Bruyne? All details as France, Belgium clash
Kylian Mbappé or Kevin DeBruyne will be heading home early from Euro 2024 when France and Belgium clash at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf on Monday.
Two-time world champions France performed terribly in the group stage, finishing behind Austria as runners-up with just five points from their three games and two goals scored. The disappointing group stage performance got the blues on the tougher half of the bracket, and they will have get past some of the favourites on their way to the final if they will get there.
Belgium’s performance in the group stage fell short of expectations, as they unexpectedly lost to Slovakia in their first match and ultimately advanced as second-place finishers, failing to dominate the group as predicted.
While Didier Deschamps’ men have not scored from open play so far in Germany and Belgium have scored just two goals in three games.
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It seems strange to see such unimpressive stats from two teams packed with offensive firepower. France features a dynamic duo in Kylian Mbappe, a global star, and Antoine Griezmann, while Belgium boasts a creative genius in Kevin De Bruyne and a prolific goal-scorer in Romelu Lukaku, making their underwhelming performance all the more surprising.
One thing is sure and that is, no matter how bad both teams has been in this tournament so far one of them must get to the quarter-finals to meet Portugal or Slovakia.
FRANCE VS BELGIUM TEAM NEWS
Kylian Mbappé played 90 minutes against Poland without issues so it’s very likely that he will lead France’s attack against the Red Devils.
Bradley Barcola replaced Antoine Griezmann in the French starting lineup, and while the teenage winger displayed some moments of brilliance, he did not perform well enough to secure his spot in the starting lineup. And in order to take Mbappe out wide, Olivier Giroud and Marcus Thuram will have to battle for the attacking nod.
Domenico Tedesco is still dealing with two injury issues, as Axel Witsel and Thomas Meunier continue their recovery processes.
Belgium’s attacking riches have long posed a tactical conundrum, and Domenico Tedesco has struggled to find a solution. The return of Dodi Lukebakio from suspension adds depth to the wing options, which also include Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku, while Lois Openda may finally get the chance to displace the struggling Romelu Lukaku as the team’s central striker.
FRANCE PREDICTED STARTING LINE-UP:
Maignan, Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez Kante, Tchouameni, Dembele, Griezmann, Barcola, Mbappe
BELGIUM PREDICTED STARTING LINE-UP:
Casteels, Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theater, Tielemans, Onana, Doku, De Bruyne, Carrasco, Lukaku.
FRANCE VS BELGIUM TIME AND VENUE
Kick-off date is Monday 1st July, 2024
Kick-off time is 5:00PM (WAT)
Venue: Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf
Referee will be Glenn Nyberg
FRANCE VS BELGIUM PREDICTION
The match between France and Belgium may be a low-scoring game, given their struggles to find the net in the group stage. A moment of brilliance could decide the game, and France has a greater array of attacking talent capable of delivering that decisive moment.
Prediction: France wins with 1-0
Read also: Italy, Spain… Full list of teams that qualified for Euro 2024 Round of 16
