France v Netherlands Euro 2024 Group D preview

As the UEFA Euro 2024 group stages reach their climax, the Netherlands and France lock horns in a tantalising clash that promises to be a true spectacle. The Oranje, buoyed by their thrilling 2-1 win over Poland, will look to extinguish the French flames, while Les Bleus seek to maintain their winning run in the competition.

This will be the fourth meeting between the two nations at the UEFA EURO, with France prevailing on penalties in the quarter-finals in 1996. The Netherlands, however, have a strong record in major tournaments, having lost just one of their last 17 games at the World Cup and the Euros. Their attacking prowess, spearheaded by the in-form Cody Gakpo, could prove a thorn in the side of the French defense. 
 
Gakpo, who has scored in all four of his starts for the Netherlands in the group stages of major tournaments, has been involved in six goals in his last eight appearances for Oranje. His pace and finishing ability will be crucial in unlocking the French backline. Wout Weghorst, who has a knack for scoring crucial goals, will also be looking to make an impact from the substitutes' bench. 

France, meanwhile, will be seeking to continue their dominance over the Netherlands. With seven wins in their last eight meetings, Les Bleus will be confident of securing three points. Manager Didier Deschamps, who has won seven of his 12 UEFA European Championship matches, will be looking to guide his side to a fourth consecutive opening two-match winning start at the competition. 

France are the favourites to win in Germany tomorrow, as well as being the front-runners for the tournament, but the Netherlands could be worth a punt given that they too are one of the favourites for the tournament, albeit with larger odds than Les Blues.

Kylian Mbappé is set to miss the game after breaking his nose in France's opener against Austria. It'll be a big blow for the French, with Mbappe finding the back of the net six times in his last five games against the Netherlands.

It'd have been a great battle between Mbappe and Virgil van Dijk, with the Liverpool and Dutch captain set to start in the heart of defence for his nation once again.

The probable teams for the match are: 

• France: Maignan - T. Hernandez, Saliba, Upamecano, Kounda - Kante, Rabiot, Griezmann - Thuram, Giroud, Dembele
• Netherlands: : Verbruggen - Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Aké - Reijnders, Schouten, Veerman - Simons, Depay, Gakpo

As the two nations take to the pitch on Friday evening, the tension will be palpable. The Netherlands will be looking to cause an upset and spoil France's party, while Les Bleus will be seeking to maintain their unbeaten run and take a significant step towards the knockout stages. Who will emerge victorious in this thrilling encounter? One thing is certain – we're in for a treat.

Ladbrokes has published an article looking at the betting odds for each of the nations competing in Euro 2024, starting with the favourites England and ending with Georgia, who have been priced at 500/1.

View the latest football odds.

All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.