New Delhi: Two-time Euro winners France will face Poland, who are already eliminated, in Westfalenstadion Dortmund (Tuesday, June 25) for both team’s final group stage game of the UEFA Euro 2024.
France has yet to show the highest calibre it has in Germany. Before the tournament, they were deemed one of the favourites to win Euro 2024. However, their recent performances, ended with a narrow 1-0 victory over Austria and the 0-0 draw against the Netherlands last Friday, have led to doubts about their knockout performance.
Les Bleus have encountered quite a few setbacks in the tournament. This includes a controversial ruling out of Xavi Simons’s 69th-minute strike on Friday. The decision was ruled after Denzel Dumfries was deemed to have interfered with play by preventing goalkeeper Mike Maignan from attempting to make a save.
Their Friday draw against the Netherlands made critics point out that the French football team hadn’t used their talent pool to the best of their level. French captain Kylian Mbappe played no part in the draw against the Netherlands due to his broken nose against Austria. Despite these hurdles, France have been a resilient side. They picked up four points to stay at the top of Group D in points and are still in the race for knockouts.
Despite not performing at their ideal level in the tournament, Les Bleus have shown glimpses of the kind of football they are known to play. With Theo Hernandez’s and N’Golo Kante’s promising displays, France has proven they can still be a lethal team as the tournament advances to the next stage. They have won 14 of their last 20 games and are unbeaten in five consecutive games.
Though a win for Poland would mean they finish on par with Austria in terms of points, their chances of surpassing them are almost impossible. This is due to Austria’s decisive 3-1 victory on Friday, which has given them a better head-to-head record.
Michal Probierz had to navigate the game against the Netherlands without the services of record top scorer and appearance holder Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski sustained a thigh problem before the tournament in friendlies against Turkey. When he was substituted in the 60th minute, he made little impact on the team’s performance on the field.
Probierz has been managing his national team since September 2023. He has produced several positive results in this relatively short tenure, winning six out of his 10 games. In fact, as Polish boss, his first loss came at Euro 2024.
Poland’s early exit in the Euros came after a series of underwhelming performances in major tournaments. Since 1986, they have only reached the quarter-finals of the Euros or the World Cup once, in the 2016 European Championship in France. Though they have qualified in the last five Euros tournaments, they have been eliminated from the group stage from four tournaments.
Team News
Though Mbappe sat out against the Netherlands on Friday, the Real Madrid-bound forward will most likely return to the starting XI despite breaking his nose against Austria when he collided with Kevin Danso’s shoulder. Manager Didier Deschamps has been careful regarding Mbappe’s recovery and benched him on Friday. Mbappe has, however, participated behind closed doors in a friendly against Paderborn’s Under-21s, where he scored twice and had two assists.
While Mbappe’s return to the team is good news, it will present a tactical challenge for Deschamps. The French coach must decide between Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni for Mbappe’s return to the lineup. Rabiot has been in good form in recent tournaments, so he will likely start in the midfield role alongside N’Golo Kante.
For Poland, centre-back Bartosz Salamon suffered an ankle injury that forced him to miss his side’s defeat to Austria. His injury will be a point of concern for Poland. With Robert Lewandowski most likely playing his final game in a major international tournament, he is most likely to return to a starting lineup.
Predicted Lineup
France: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Thuram; Mbappe
Poland: Szczesny; Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior; Frankowski, Zielinski, Slisz, Moder, Zalewski; Swiderski, Lewandowski
Head to Head
France have won nine games and lost only three against Poland. Both teams have played five draws. Poland haven’t won against France since 1982 and that will give an edge to France who will look to cofirm their berth in the knockouts with an easy win.
When, where and how to watch the France vs Poland match in India?
The France vs Poland UEFA Euro 2024 match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network in India. Live streaming of Euro 2024 will be available on SonyLIV app and website. The action begins at 9:30 pm IST tonight.
France will look to seal their knockout seat against an already eliminated Poland team. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
