The French national team took on Italy at the Parc des Princes on Friday evening, marking the start of their Nations League A campaign.
Deschamps’ squad was eager to make a strong start and restore confidence after their disappointing exit in the Euro 2024 semifinals, where they lost to eventual champions Spain.
This new-look French team features fresh faces, bringing renewed energy to the squad. Meanwhile, Belgium has been struggling against France for over six years, including a tough semifinal defeat in the 2018 World Cup.
France has become something of a nemesis for Belgium, most notably defeating them in the 2021 Nations League semifinals in Italy. In that match, Belgium led 2-0 at halftime but ultimately lost 3-2.
Another blow came this summer in the Euro Round of 16, where Belgium fell 1-0 to a late goal from Kolo Muani. Belgium began their current Nations League campaign with a home match against newly promoted Israel.
In 15 of Belgium’s last 18 league games, at least one team has kept a clean sheet, and both of last season’s matches between Belgium and France ended in goalless draws.
Likewise, eight of France’s last 15 home games have also featured a clean sheet, suggesting that fans hoping for a high-scoring match might be disappointed.
Prediction
Before their last UEFA Nations League match, France had shown strong home form, winning 13 of their last 18 games in all competitions. Belgium, on the other hand, has experienced mixed results recently, with three wins, four draws, and three losses in their last ten matches.
Prediction: France 0-0 Belgium
