• Competition: UEFA Nations League - Group A
• Date: Monday, 9th, September 2024
• Kickoff: 19:45 UK / 20:45 CEST
• Venue: Groupama Academy Stadium (Decines-Charpieu)

France will be eager to recover from their opening day setback and get back on track when they welcome Belgium to Groupama Academy Stadium in Monday’s UEFA Nations League encounter.

Honestly speaking, few doubted the French victory at the UNL curtain-raiser, but Deschamps' men not only ended up empty-handed, they were also sunk 3-1 by a fearless Italian side, despite taking the lead just 13 seconds in, setting the record for the fastest goal ever scored in the tournament. This marked another defeat in a row for the Gaelic Roosters, after they were knocked out of the Euro 2024 semi-finals by Spain two months ago, meaning the 2021 UEFA Nations League champions are facing a wake-up call with pressure mounting.

Their next challenge will come against the Belgian side, who set a dominant tone in their opening UEFA Nations League match by routinely defeating a helpless Israel 3-1 on neutral ground, with captain Kevin De Bruyne shining by scoring brace. Despite this, the Red Devils have not much to boast about in the UNL, having failed to reach the knockout stage on two occasions, with their top achievement being fourth place in the 2021 competition hosted in Italy, which was actually the lowest position they could achieve as the finals then started from the semifinals.

France vs Belgium Betting Tips: BTTS

After suffering a heavy breakdown in their tournament opener, the French are eager to quickly redeem themselves to their loyal fans in Paris, but a clash with the De Bruyne-inspired Belgians will be anything but a walk in the park, so we believe that goals at both ends are much safer bet than any other. There is no doubt that the Gaelic Roosters boast one of the most lethal attacking lines globally, but their defense has recently been quite vulnerable, as they surrendered leads in back-to-back defeats against European giants Spain and Italy, conceding a total of five goals in the process. 

It should be noted that Belgium also fails to inspire confidence in defense, as their backline has been breached in three of their last five encounters of any format, including a 0-1 loss to France in July that led to their elimination in the last 16 of this summer's Euro. Remarkably, the last three meetings between these two national teams have seen France send Belgium packing in the knockout rounds of each UEFA tournament, including the dramatic Nations League clash in 2021 where the Red Lions lost a two-goal lead at halftime and ended up suffering a stunning 2-3 loss. Given that neither of these two European powerhouses demonstrates defensive stability and strength, we think both sides will effortlessly make their way to goal as their attacking firepower is impressive.