Austria vs France Prediction: Euro 2024 Match Preview
One of the favourites to win the tournament, France gets their Euro 2024 campaign underway when they face Austria in Düsseldorf on Sunday.
Didier Deschamps and his men have reached the final in three of their last four major tournaments. After losing in the Euro 2016 showpiece, they won the 2018 World Cup and were then losing finalists at the 2022 World Cup. The only exception in that time came in their last appearance at the Euros when they were knocked out of Euro 2020 in the round of 16 by Switzerland.
France is participating in the 11th European Championship and their ninth in a row. That is the second-longest current run after Euro 2024 hosts Germany (14). Only Germany and Spain (3 each) have won more European Championship titles than Les Bleus (2, in 1984 and 2000).
Meanwhile, Austria are making their fourth Euros appearance, with this third in succession. Their only previous appearance before that run was in 2008 when they automatically qualified as co-hosts.
Austria also left Euro 2020 at the round of 16, knocked out by eventual champions Italy, though it was their best-ever finish at the tournament. Their only two victories ever at a Euros came in the last edition, beating North Macedonia and Ukraine in the group stage. In 10 matches in the competition, their 3-1 win over North Macedonia was the only time they have scored more than once in a game.
Ralf Rangnick’s side impressed in qualifying, losing just once in their eight games (W6 D1) as they finished second to Belgium in their group, with the Red Devils the only team to beat them. They could be one of the dark horses at this summer’s tournament.
Marcel Sabitzer was involved in six goals in seven appearances during qualifying (4 goals, 2 assists), the most of any Austria player. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder also created the most big chances (4) and had the highest expected assists total (1.6) of any Austrian.
France eased through their qualifying group, topping it with seven wins from eight games (D1). Nearly half of Les Bleus’ 29 goals in qualifying came in one match – a 14-0 win against Gibraltar in November, the biggest margin of victory ever in a Euros qualifying match.
All eyes will be on Kylian Mbappé at Euro 2024, fresh off recent confirmation of his move to Real Madrid. Mbappé has scored 12 goals for France at major tournaments, though all of those have come at the World Cup. He has never scored at a Euros, failing to convert any of his 14 shots at Euro 2020. He also missed his spot kick in the shootout defeat against Switzerland in the round of 16. The bad news for France is that the forward missed training on Thursday with a virus so might miss out on the opening game.
Mbappé is expected to be the main man during this tournament but certainly isn’t the only man in attack. Since Euro 2016, Antoine Griezmann has been directly involved in more goals (18) than any other European player at major tournaments (World Cup and European Championship) with 11 goals and seven assists in 25 games.
Should France win Euro 2024, it will make Deschamps the first person to win the World Cup and European Championship both as a player and manager. Ronald Koeman will be the only other manager at this summer’s tournament who previously won the Euros as a player (1988).
This will be the third meeting between Austria and France at a major tournament. They have one victory each, with Austria winning 3-2 at the 1934 World Cup, while France succeeded 1-0 in the 1982 World Cup.
Austria have won only one of their last 10 matches against France in all competitions (D2 L7), a 3-1 World Cup qualifier victory in Vienna in September 2008.
Their last two meetings came in the UEFA Nations League in 2022, drawing 1-1 in Austria before France emerged victors 2-0 in the reverse fixture.
PREDICTION: FRANCE TO WIN @1.60
Romania vs Ukraine: X2 + UNDER 4.5 @1.34
Belgium vs Slovakia: HOME TO WIN @1.51
Turkiye vs Georgia: 1X + UNDER 4.5 @1.30
Portugal vs Czech Republic: HOME TO WIN @1.50
