Double Chance: Austria to Win or Draw
Those results have left Didier Deschamps’ side third in League A Group 1, two points behind Friday’s opponents Austria, who are playing their third match under new manager Ralf Rangnick.
Rangnick’s side were excellent in his first game in charge, successfully performing the high-pressing style he failed to implement at Manchester United on the way to beating Croatia 3-0.
That fine result was followed by a 2-1 home defeat to Denmark on Monday, after Rangnick decided to rest several big names, including Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer.
Both sides should be at full strength here.
France are favourites, but their results this season have been mixed. That defeat to Denmark followed draws against Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier in the season.
That makes Austria worth backing to get something from the game.
David Alaba, their star player, described Rangnick as a “world-class coach” who “doesn’t want the opponents to breathe air”.
They could suffocate France, especially as many of their players seem ready to finish after enduring a gruelling domestic season.
Both Teams to Score: Yes
France have scored in each of their last 22 matches – a run which goes back to November 2020.
But they’re not great defensively, with Finland and Kazakhstan the only two sides to fail to score against them in their last 12 competitive outings.
Team to Score Last: Austria
France have conceded the last goal of the game in both of their Nations League matches so far. Those goals came in the 83rd and 88th minute respectively.