Austria vs France Preview & Prediction | UEFA EURO 2024 | Group Stage
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It has been a remarkable improvement under Ralf Rangnick since he replaced Franco Foda and the Austrians will take the game to one of the red hot pre-tournament favourites, France.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Monday 17th June, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US EST – 3:00pm / US PST – 1:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – ITV / US – FOX
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – ITVX / US – VIX
AUSTRIA PREVIEW: RALF RANGNICK’S PRESSING MONSTERS
The ‘dark horses’ phrase and tag is obviously extremely irritating and, just as they were in 2016, Austria are being labelled with it again. This time, though, there is a bit more substance to the argument with former Manchester United interim coach Ralf Rangnick having transformed the national team, even with the injury absence of star man David Alaba.
They qualified for UEFA EURO 2024 with ease, albeit finishing as runners’ up to Belgium in the group, and have since put in some remarkable performances in friendly matches. Their 6-1 hammering of Turkey in March was a real shock but they also defeated Germany in November and have suffered just one defeat in 16 matches since the appointment of Rangnick.
FRANCE PREVIEW: ALLEZ LES BLEUS
Didier Deschamps is perhaps entering into his final tournament in charge of the French national side. In 2016, they reached final of a home UEFA European Championships before winning the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and then reaching the final in 2022. However, in between those global events, they were stunned by Switzerland on penalties in the Round of 16 of UEFA EURO 2020.
Les Bleus had an all star team out that time and generally played well but the two-time world champions lacked the defensive solidity and cohesion that has been so important to Deschamps’ successes. They laboured to a goalless draw with Canada in their final warm-up but rediscovering how to shut teams out will be viewed as a major plus from that game for the French.
AUSTRIA TEAM NEWS: AUSTRIAN ENERGY
The aggression and intensity of Ralf Rangnick's style of football will potentially mean a fair bit of rotation through the groups but to start with it is expected that Patrick Wimmer gets the nod ahead of his Wolfsburg teammate Xaver Schlager in one of the more advanced midfield positions. There is debate at the back, too, with Gernot Trauner and Philipp Lienhart in a battle with Kevin Danso and Max Wober.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-2-2): Lindner; Posch, Trauner, Lienhart, Mwene; Seiwald, Laimer; Sabitzer, Wimmer; Gregoritsch, Baumgartner
UNAVAILABLE:
QUESTIONABLE:
FRANCE TEAM NEWS: SALIBA TO MISS OUT
Didier Deschamps has his favourites and there is a possibility that two of the best midfielders in the world of the last few years, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni, miss out in favour of N'Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot, albeit Tchouameni is still recovering from a stress fracture. It does also appear that Arsenal man William Saliba will miss out in favour of Dayot Upamecano alongside Ibrahima Konate at the back.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Thuram; Mbappe
UNAVAILABLE: Tchouameni (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
KEY STATS
- This is Austria’s third successive EURO appearance. They reached the knockout rounds for the first time at EURO 2020 where they lost in extra-time against the eventual champions Italy.
- Austria have won only two of their previous ten EURO matches (D2 L6).
- This is the third major tournament fixture between Austria and France. Their first was 90 years ago at the 1934 World Cup when Austria won 3-2 after extra-time in the opening round. The most recent encounter was a 1-0 victory for France in the second group stage at the 1982 World Cup.
- Austria are aiming to win their opening match at a second successive EURO having defeated North Macedonia 3-1 in their first fixture at EURO 2020.
- Austria lost only one of their eight matches in qualifying for EURO 2024 (W6 D1).
- This is France’s ninth successive EURO appearance.
- France have never lost their opening match in a EURO final tournament group stage (W6 D3).
- France have lost only one of their last ten matches against Austria (W7 D2).
- Excluding penalty shoot-outs, France have lost only one of their last 11 EURO matches (W6 D4).
- France have drawn their last three EURO matches.
- France are unbeaten in their last six EURO group stage matches (W3 D3).
- Only two of France’s last 28 EURO matches have finished without a goal being scored.
- France never conceded more than one goal in their opening match in a EURO final tournament group stage.
- The only time France have failed to score in their opening match in a EURO final tournament group stage was in 2008 against Romania (D 0-0).
- Excluding penalty shoot-outs, France have not lost any of their last 12 competitive matches (W10 D2).
AUSTRIA VS FRANCE PREDICTION
In the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League, Austria shared a 1-1 draw with France in Vienna with their pressing game beginning to really come to life under Ralf Rangnick. The Austrians will once again set about what could be a shaky France back-line. Didier Deschamps’ side had kept one clean sheet in seven matches before recent warm-up friendlies against Canada and Luxembourg and that one clean sheet came in a 14-0 defeat of Gibraltar. Austria may not blow anyone away but they will surely create chances against anyone they face so both teams scoring would seem a decent value bet with the French potentially susceptible to being caught cold in their opening game.
AUSTRIA VS FRANCE TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
