Our expert Gram Dodd has analysed the cracking match we have on Friday night between France and the Netherlands. Find below the complete analysis and his betting preview and tips.
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It was close, painfully close, but France failed to defend their World Cup title in December by losing the penalty shootout against Argentina, in a final that will be remembered forever in the history of football. In that match, Mbappe scored a hat-trick and made history by becoming the second man to score three goals in a World Cup final. And I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of him in the future. Looking ahead to the next tournament, the Euro 2024, Didier Deschamps’ men are among the favourites to win, but it will be interesting to see how they react from the World Cup hangover against a very strong opponent early on, the Netherlands.
The Dutch went to the Middle East with high hopes, but as has often happened in their history, they fell short. In this case, however, they were eliminated on penalties by eventual champions Argentina, so you could argue that they did their best and that small margins made the difference, after they demonstrated great character in coming back from two goals down. Yet, their efforts weren’t enough to secure a place in the last four, and they now have a new manager in Ronald Koeman and renewed ambition for the European Championship that will take place in their neighbour, Germany.
While France will miss Wesley Fofana and William Saliba, the visitors will have to do it without Frenkie De Jong, who had to leave the Dutch team due to injury, which was a big blow for them as he is a focal point for the way they play and will probably have an impact on the final result.
France vs Netherlands Betting Prediction: France To Win
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When France plays qualifiers or friendly games, you should always keep an eye on their motivation.Add to that when they play in the Nations League, as they were terrible in that tournament leading up to the World Cup, winning only one of their six games. The Qatari tournament showed, however, that they can raise their game when it matters. And today it matters, as they have been drawn in a difficult qualifying group for the European Championship, and it could be hard to comeback if they lose ground early on. This is just to say that we do expect a motivated France, who have been performing brilliantly under Deschamps in the last Euro qualifiers, with 25 points secured in 10 games.
The Dutch have been hit and miss in recent years, but they are heading to Paris on the back of a solid 20 games unbeaten in 90 minutes. But if we look a bit deeper, we can see that they have played mostly average teams. When they played against teams that are currently ranked in the top 15, they conceded in four of these games. Add to this the fact that they have changed a lot in a couple of months. Not only has Ronald Koeman replaced Louis van Gaal as manager, but he has also replaced several players. This is not the former Barcelona manager’s first time at the helm of the national team, with the previous adventure ending in disaster when The Netherlands failed to qualify for the finals in 2021.Additionally, Barcelona fired him in 2021, so it’s safe to say that he hasn’t exactly been in the spotlight lately.
Starting against Mbappe and co. away from home is not the start he would want to have, and we expect that he will pay the price. France have won 2-1 at home last time they met on their soil, and with 2.3 goals per game on average in the last 10 games at home, you can expect them to cause problems to a Dutch’s backline which didn’t look solid in the World Cup and that, if anything, has now players in not their best form. De Jong’s absence would cause even more issues for the visitors, so back France to win the fourth consecutive win on this ground against the Dutch.
France vs Netherlands Betting Prediction: Greizmann To Assist Anytime
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Surely the Dutch are a very good side, but if we look at the two teams, we can see that they can’t match France’s amazing forward line. Probably no teams can. Kylian Mbappe should have the captain’s armband going forward, but don’t forget about Antoine Griezmann, who has had a brilliant World Cup, and that could be the man capable of opening up the Dutch defence.
The Atletico Madrid striker is in great form, having netted three goals and delivered two assists in the last five games. He is a key creator and plays an important role for this French team, as evidenced by his three assists in the World Cup. Against a Dutch side that is likely to be exposed at the back, he should thrive and look like great value in the assist market.
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