Austria
Austria has shown impressive form since their 3-2 defeat to Belgium during qualifying. Head man Ralf Rangnick has been a maestro at the helmf despite his disappointing stint at Manchester United. Under Rangnick's guidance, Austria has enjoyed a streak of six consecutive victories before a 1-1 draw with Switzerland on June 8 halted their momentum. The loss to Belgium remains their only defeat in their last 16 matches across all competitions, and they have not failed to score since September 2022. Das Team should pose a challenge to the French, who are eager to make an early statement.
Team news: Several key Austrian players will unfortunately miss out on the Euros due to injuries, including David Alaba and Sasa Kalajdzic, both recovering from ACL injuries. Additionally, Xaver Schlager from RB Leipzig was not selected due to a serious knee issue of his own. Right-back Stefan Posch has recovered from a knee concern and is likely to start in defense. Gernot Trauner missed training on Friday as a precautionary measure, but it's expected that he will be available for selection as well.
Predicted Lineup: Pentz; Posch, Danso, Wober, Mwene; Siewald, Grillitsch; Laimer, Sabitzer, Baumgartner; Gregoritsch
France
Despite recent criticisms and the looming presence of Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps remains firmly in charge as he prepares to lead France in their 11th Euros campaign. Deschamps holds the unique distinction of being the only person to have won the World Cup both as a player and a manager.
France's qualifying campaign included a notable 14-0 victory over Gibraltar among their seven wins. While they comfortably defeated Luxembourg 3-0 in their first friendly of the month, a lackluster goalless draw against Canada on June 9 was less than ideal as a final preparation.
Still, France has not suffered a defeat in a group-stage match since Euro 2012. Deschamps' men have had decent success against Austria in their recent meetings, including a 1-1 draw in June 2022 followed by a straightforward 2-0 victory at Stade de France a few months later.
Team news: Kingsley Coman recovered from an illness earlier in the week and is expected to be fit for action. Similarly, Kylian Mbappe is eager to play despite a concerning knee injury suffered during a friendly victory over Luxembourg. On the other hand, Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni is still recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him for the Champions League final. As a result, Juventus' Adrien Rabiot is likely to start in midfield. In defense, Arsenal's William Saliba initially seemed set to miss out despite a standout season in the Premier League. However, there has been a change of plans, with Didier Deschamps reportedly opting to bench Ibrahima Konate instead.
Predicted Lineup: Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Thuram