Belgium vs France prediction: EUROPE: UEFA Nations League – League A betting tips on match 2024-10-13 18:45.
[p]The hotly contested UEFA Nations League (UNL) Group A2 experienced an eventful third matchday, with Belgium seemingly dead and buried when trailing group leaders Italy 2-0 before a red card for the Italians allowed Belgium to salvage a 2-2 draw. Defeat would have seen Belgium trail Italy in the table by a seemingly unassailable six points, but they’re instead within touching distance ahead of this home game against France.[/p]
[p]Manager Domenico Tedesco will have to strengthen and solidify his defensive unit or face having to get results the hard way, as four successive games without a clean sheet will be a cause for concern (W1, D1, L2). Even more worrisome could be the Red Devils’ recent record against fellow current FIFA top-ten ranked nations – they have failed to beat such opposition for more than three years (D2, L7).[/p]
[p]That includes three consecutive losses to France, who will arrive at the King Baudouin Stadium full of confidence having dispatched group outsiders Israel 4-1 in their last outing. That demonstrated they didn’t miss the goalscoring prowess of superstar Kylian Mbappé, who was intentionally omitted by a reportedly enraged Didier Deschamps amidst reports of his premature return to the field for Real Madrid following an injury. [/p]
[p]That win over Israel took Les Bleus’ tally to six points in Group A2, just one behind Italy, which will be a refreshing change after they narrowly escaped relegation to League B in the previous UNL campaign. Their other success this cycle came via a 2-0 win over Belgium in the reverse fixture last month, setting up a chance to win five H2Hs in succession for the first time in their history. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Leandro Trossard was pivotal in Belgium’s fightback against Italy, registering a goal and an assist, and he could make the difference once again since all of his nine prior goals for his country came on home soil. He’ll need to be on the lookout for the abrasive Eduardo Camavinga, who scored his first goal for his country against Israel, since Camavinga has been booked in three of his last four matches for club or country.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Only three of the last 11 H2Hs saw both teams score. [/p]
[p][i]Written by Peter Stavrinou[/i][/p]