On Monday, October 14, Belgium will once again face neighboring France. After being eliminated from the European Championship and suffering another defeat earlier in the Nations League, the Belgians are determined to seek revenge. These two countries have a long footballing history, and their matches are always highly intriguing. Read everything about this match in this article.
Nations League
This biennial tournament is being organized for the fourth time, six years after the first edition in 2018. In the Nations League, 54 UEFA members compete against each other, divided into four leagues based on their international performances. Within these leagues, they are further divided into groups, and each country plays both home and away matches against the teams in their group.
After the group stage, the teams follow a new path. The top two teams from the groups in League A qualify for the quarterfinals, where they play playoffs to determine who will advance to the final round. There will also be playoffs for promotion and relegation between all the leagues. The quarterfinals begin on March 20, with the final round starting on June 4. The final is scheduled for June 8, 2025.
Belgium vs. France
Although the French Football Federation was only founded in 1919, France and Belgium faced each other for the first time 15 years earlier. On May 1, 1904, both countries played their first-ever international match, which ended in a 3-3 draw. In total, the nations have played around 77 matches against each other, with Belgium winning 30 times. Their most recent encounter was in the second Nations League match, where France won 2-0.
Belgium
All matches between Belgium and France are interesting, and this was also the case at the European Championship in Germany, where France proved to be a major obstacle for Belgium in the round of 16. France also narrowly won the previous Nations League match. Now, the Red Devils have a chance for revenge. Belgium’s best result in the Nations League came in 2020-2021, when they lost the third-place playoff to Italy.
Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku will not feature in this set of matches after mutual consultation. De Bruyne was quite critical of his teammates last time, but after discussions, everything seemed resolved. However, he will skip these matches due to an injury he sustained during a Champions League match for Manchester City. Lukaku, too, will focus on regaining his form at Napoli after a late transfer. Amadou Onana is also out, having picked up an injury while playing for Aston Villa.
In his place comes Aster Vranckx, and the other absences create opportunities for new players. Coach Domenico Tedesco has selected newcomers Malick Fofana, Cyril Ngonge, and Matte Smets. Smets trained with the team during the last international break but has yet to make his debut. Goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski will not participate due to personal reasons and will be replaced by Maarten Vandevoordt, while Leandro Trossard has been recalled after missing the last international break.
France
France also failed to reach the final of the European Championship, but they fared much better than the Red Devils. For the French, the semifinals were the endpoint, where they lost 2-1 to Spain. In this Nations League campaign, they have already beaten Belgium, but they let a win slip through their fingers in their first match against Italy.
Surprisingly, star player Kylian Mbappé will not be present for this match, as coach Didier Deschamps did not select the Real Madrid forward. The main reason for his absence is his recovery from a recent injury sustained in a match against Alaves. Mbappé requested a substitution after suffering a hamstring injury in his left leg. Although he was expected to be out for three weeks, he returned to play for Real Madrid on Wednesday. However, he is not fit enough to participate in the matches for Les Bleus. Antoine Griezmann is also absent, having recently announced his retirement from the French national team.
Didier Deschamps has not made many changes to his squad besides Mbappé’s exclusion. Newcomers Manu Koné and Michael Olise were selected at the start of the campaign and remain in the squad. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan will start, and the defense includes Theo Hernandez, Ferland Mendy, Ibrahima Konaté, and Dayot Upamecano. Ngolo Kanté and Aurélien Tchouaméni will support Bradley Barcola, Randal Kolo Muani, and Marcus Thuram from midfield.
Magic Betting live
Want to make the Nations League even more exciting? Check out the Magic Betting App or visit the website www.magicbetting.be for the best online sports bets. Don’t forget to check out the various promotions. Take your chance and win!
