All attention is focused on Kylian Mbappe, who is fit only to start on the bench due to his broken nose.
Netherlands and France collide in a crucial UEFA Euro 2024 Group D matchup in Leipzig, with a spot in the round of 16 on the line. All eyes have been on Kylian Mbappe's fitness following a broken nose suffered in France's narrow opening victory over Austria. Both teams secured maximum points in their respective opening matches, with Didier Deschamps' side edging a 1-0 win and Ronald Koeman's Netherlands coming from behind to triumph 2-1 against Poland earlier.
However, Mbappe's nose injury has relegated him to the bench for Friday's game, leaving France to pursue a result without their star player. Cody Gakpo and Wout Weghorst were on target to overturn Adam Buksa's opener for the Dutch, while Maximilian Wober's own goal, set up by Mbappe's dazzling play, secured victory for France. Despite injury setbacks like losing Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners before the tournament, Netherlands boasts considerable quality.
A victory for the Netherlands would ensure a top-two finish, having already scored more goals than France. In previous qualifiers, France dominated with wins of 4-0 in Paris and 2-1 in Amsterdam, largely thanks to Mbappe's contributions. His absence and potential captaincy absence due to the nose injury will test France's attacking prowess, although their depth and quality as 2018 FIFA World Cup champions suggest they can adapt.
France holds a strong record against the Netherlands, winning seven out of eight recent encounters. The clash promises compelling storylines, and here's how you can watch the match and follow all developments:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Friday, June 21 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Leipzig Stadium - Leipzig, Germany
- Watch: FOX or Fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Netherlands +225; Draw +225; France +130
- Group D
| TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| France | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Austria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Poland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
June 16
Netherlands 2, Poland 1
June 17
Austria 0, France 1
June 21
Poland 1, Austria 3
Netherlands vs. France, 3 p.m. on Fox
June 25
Netherlands vs. Austria, 12 p.m. on FS1
France vs. Poland, 12 p.m. on Fox
Team news
Netherlands: Brian Brobbey is training, so Koeman should have a full squad to choose from, although Joey Veerman's yellow card means he faces a potential one-game ban if booked again here. Wout Weghorst may start, but Memphis Depay remains the likely leader of the attack for now.
Possible Netherlands XI: Verbruggen; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake; Schouten, Veerman; Simons, Reijnders, Gakpo; Depay.
France: The fitness of Kylian Mbappe is a major concern for the French camp, with a protective mask possibly necessary for the superstar and captain to participate in Germany. Deschamps is likely to opt for Olivier Giroud, who came on against Austria, making this his seventh different international tournament appearance. Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni could be fit, but N'Golo Kante is expected to retain his starting role after an impressive display in Dusseldorf.
Possible France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Thuram; Giroud.
Prediction: This match is expected to be closely contested, with a draw highly likely. However, Les Bleus have a knack for grinding out results in major tournaments when necessary, which could be the case again here.
Prediction: Netherlands 0, France 1.