Belgium v France betting tips: Close encounter on cards in Nations League semi
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Belgium v France betting tips and odds
The second Nations League semi-final takes place on Thursday when the world’s top-ranked team Belgium meet France in Turin, a day after Italy meet Spain.
The match is a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final in Russia where Samuel Umtiti secured a 1-0 victory for Didier Deschamps’ side, the first competitive fixture between the teams in 32 years.
Les Bleus are 6/4 favourites to win inside 90 minutes, so let’s look at some of the other options in our Belgium v France betting tips.
Match Odds
Both teams were expected to challenge for the title at this summer’s European Championship, but France squandered a 3-1 lead in the final 10 minutes to go out to Switzerland on penalties in the last 16, while Belgium were beaten 2-1 by eventual champions Italy in the quarter-finals.
The Red Devils finished five points clear of England and Denmark in their Nations League group to reach the last four and are 19/10 to beat the French or we go 21/10 on a draw in our Belgium v France betting tips.
Eight of the last nine meetings between these teams have been friendlies and the previous seven have either been drawn or settled by a single goal so it promises to be a close encounter.
France and Belgium are both 10/1 to win on penalties and we go 9/1 and 11/1 respectively on these sides winning in extra time.
The world champions may be slight favourites, but their 2-0 victory against Finland was their first win in five having drawn their previous five, all of which saw goals at both ends.
A score draw can be backed at 16/5 and it’s 20/23 on both teams to score, while Belgium are 23/20 to score the first goal bearing in mind France had conceded the opener in all five games prior to their win against Finland.
Talking Tactics
Deshamps is without key midfielder N’Golo Kante, who tested positive for Covid last month and is self-isolating.
Now in the RBFA app 👉 #DEVILTIME Daily: @AlderweireldTob picks the perfect Red Devil! 🇧🇪😈
📺 https://t.co/zL1X7LMZ3n pic.twitter.com/ChnbYyoY01
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) October 6, 2021
France usually play in a 4-3-3 formation in which Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema are expected to lead the attack, but Deschamps preferred a back three in a 3-4-3 against Finland.
Roberto Martinez likes to play a 3-4-3 so we should expect to see Romelu Lukaku spearhead the attack with Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne in support.
Goalscorer Odds
Lukaku scored four goals at the Euro 2020 finals and has five in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, so he is the 7/2 favourite to break the deadlock and 13/8 to score any time in our Belgium v France betting tips.
Hazard and De Bruyne are 7/2 to get on the scoresheet, while Youri Tielemans can be backed at 7/1.
Benzema and Mbappe are 9/2 to draw first blood or 21/10 and 2/1 in the any-time market, while Griezmann, who scored both goals against Finland, is 5/1 and 9/4 in the two markets.
Anthony Martial scored the opening goal for Manchester United at the weekend and bagged the equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Ukraine, so he is 7/2 to find the net.
Match Info
Where: San Siro
When: 19:45, Thursday 6th October
How to watch: Sky Sports
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
