France vs Croatia Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Nations League | Quarter-Final
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Didier Deschamps is departing his role as France boss after the 2026 FIFA World Cup but there surely has to be an argument that he could be forced out from Les Bleus before even that.
Kick-off date/time: Sunday 23rd March, 2025: UK – 7:45pm / US ET – 3:45pm / US PT – 12:45pm
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – FOX Sports
How to watch online: UK – Viaplay International YouTube / US – FOX Sports streaming platforms
France Preview: Les Bleus need a response
The France national team have been under the management of the aforementioned Deschamps for well over a decade now and he has won the FIFA World Cup but their performances have always been underwhelming as results now collapse.
Deschamps has said he will depart after the 2026 FIFA World Cup but, having scraped above Italy in League A of the UEFA Nations League after a very disappointing UEFA EURO 2024 showing, they are now on the verge of a UNL quarter-final exit.
Croatia Preview: Croats show experience
The reason for that is because Croatia managed to defeat the French b two goals to nil with a very impressive first-half display by Zlatko Dalic’s men. Following an early missed penalty by Andrej Kramaric, they managed to ease to a 2-0 win via Ante Budimir and Ivan Perisic.
The Croatians have also been very underwhelming of late, scraping into the top two of League A Group 1 in the autumn, managing just two victories against Scotland and Poland. Their win against France was just their third in their last ten matches.
France Team News: Potential changes
France will be tempted to make changes for this one with Deschamps surely keen on offering more width to his side. He started with Kylian Mbappe, Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele the other day, all three of late preferring to play down the middle.
Predicted XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Saliba, Digne; Guendouzi, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Mbappe, Dembele
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Croatia Team News: No need to change
With no fresh injury concerns or suspension issues for this one, Croatia will be able to name an unchanged eleven and they would be foolish not to do so given how well they played in Zagreb the other day.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Livakovic; Stanisic, Caleta-Car, Sutalo, Gvardiol; Modric, Kovacic; Perisic, Baturina, Kramaric; Budimir
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Key Stats
- Croatia have won the last two matches between these teams without conceding a goal. France were unbeaten in their nine meetings prior to this sequence (W6 D3).
- France have won nine of their last 13 international matches at home (D2 L2).
- France have won only two of their last six UEFA Nations League matches in France (D1 L3).
- France have kept three clean sheets in their last four UEFA Nations League matches in France.
- Kylian Mbappé need two goals to become the third French player to score 50 goals for the national team after Olivier Giroud (57) and Thierry Henry (51).
- Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Croatia have lost only two of their last 14 UEFA Nations League matches (W8 D4).
- Excluding penalty shoot-outs, Croatia have lost only two of their last eight UEFA Nations League matches outside of Croatia (W4 D2).
- Ivan Perišić has scored in his last three competitive appearances for club and country.
France vs Croatia Prediction
France’s midfield was stodgy the other night and that is arguably by design, or at least must be by design, because it simply always has been under Deschamps. Up against the guile and experience of Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic, Croatia were simply able co control proceedings. With that once again likely to be the case again for this one in Paris, a low-scoring affair appears the best bet.
France vs Croatia Tip: Under 3.5 goals
