Euro 2024 2024: Austria vs France Prediction, Odds & Best Bets

France's recent major competitions have been marred by heartbreak since securing a Nations League title three years ago. Now, Les Bleus aim to end a 24-year drought without European glory on German turf. Kylian Mbappe lost some of his luster among French football fans after he missed a crucial penalty against Switzerland in 2020's iteration of the tournament. He did manage to regain his clout by securing the Golden Boot in the 2022 World Cup despite the team's loss to Argentina in the finals. Now, anything short of a finals appearance will be considered a huge disappointment.

Austria will give Mbappe and company all they can handle in this opening match between Group D opponents. Euro 2024 odds acknowledge this is one of the hottest teams in the world. Das Team finished just one point behind Belgium in their qualifying group, securing six wins out of eight matches. Their upcoming fourth appearance at the Euros marks a chance for redemption, following disappointing campaigns in 2008 and 2016 where they failed to secure any wins.

So, will France cleave its way easily to through the early stages of the Euros? Our US Legal Sports Betting scoccer experts offer a full breakdown of this Group D match, including most valuable markets to attack.

Odds have been provided by BetMGM. Read our BetMGM review.

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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

• H2H – France is 3-1-1 vs Austria in their last five meetings.
• Austria – 5-1-0 in the last 6 matches.
• France – 3-2-1 in the last 6 matches.
• Player To Watch – All eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe as the star striker leaves the French club of Paris Saint Germain for Real Madrid.

France and Austria will aim to begin their Euro 2024 campaign on a high note when they clash in a Group D fixture on Monday afternoon. Both teams were eliminated in the Round of 16 during Euro 2020, which was held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. France enters the tournament as one of the favorites, having lost only two matches since their defeat to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. Meanwhile, Austria is unbeaten in their last seven matches and seeks their second victory over France in their last 11 encounters.

Les Bleus players has been managing a virus outbreak at their training camp, which led to Mbappe and Kingsley Coman missing several training sessions earlier this week. Mbappe's playing time was limited to just 15 minutes in a recent 0-0 draw against Canada, raising concerns about his fitness for Monday's match. In contrast, Austria appears to be in good health, potentially giving them an edge in this Group D opener.

Austria arrives at this tournament with momentum, having remained undefeated in their last seven matches, which notably includes a 2-0 victory over Germany in a friendly international last year. Under manager Ralf Rangnick, the team has made significant strides, with the 2-0 defeat to France in 2022 coming early in his tenure, just his fifth game in charge. In their recent Euro opener, Austria secured a convincing 3-1 victory over North Macedonia, a stark contrast to their previous two tournament starts, which ended in shutout losses.

Both Teams To Score (-130) | BetMGM

Austria showcased their attacking prowess throughout the Euro 2024 qualifiers, scoring in every single match—a testament to the improvements overseen by Rangnick. Furthermore, in their last 17 fixtures across all competitions, Austria have consistently found the net without fail. In fact, the only team to keep a clean sheet against them in recent memory was France, who defeated them 2-0 in the Nations League in September 2022.

Despite France's strong defensive reputation under Deschamps, they have conceded in the opening match of three out of their last four tournaments. Austria's quick transitions will pose a challenge when these teams meet at the Dusseldorf Arena. Standing at 6ft 4in, Michael Gregoritsch provides both a physical presence and tremendous speed, capable of making runs behind the defense and holding up play effectively.

Supported by Marcel Sabitzer, Christoph Baumgartner, and Konrad Laimer in deeper roles, Austria presents a versatile attacking threat. France presents one of the strongest attacking sides in its own right, but Austria seems well-equipped to score in this matchup as well.