France v Belgium EURO 2024 preview & betting picks | Round of 16

EURO 2024: France v Belgium top picks

EURO 2024: France v Belgium preview

Although France and Belgium have failed to meet expectations so far at EURO 2024, their clash in Dusseldorf on Monday night is the hottest ticket in the round of 16.

France — who entered the tournament as outright favourites with soccer betting sites — could only manage second place in Group D on five points, a point behind surprise winners Austria.

Les Bleus beat Austria 1-0 in their opening match of the tournament before registering consecutive draws against the Netherlands and Poland.

Even more worrying is the fact that Didier Deschamps’ side only scored two goals in the group stage, with their match against the Dutch ending in a goalless draw.

Part of France’s woes on the pitch are attributed to their heavy involvement in off-pitch political matters, with captain Kylian Mbappe being the most vocal.

However, for all of France’s troubles, Belgium appear to be in even greater turmoil than their neighbours.

The Red Devils booked their place in the last 16 after finishing second in Group E behind unlikely winners Romania, with all four teams in the section managing four points.

Belgium fell to a 1-0 defeat to Slovakia on the opening weekend before bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Romania in Matchday 2.

Domenico Tedesco’s side then registered a goalless draw with Ukraine in their final group game, drawing the ire of their fans despite securing a place in the round of 16.

EURO 2024: France v Belgium team news

There is no change for France when it comes to player availability, with Mbappe expected to continue leading the line despite a broken nose.

Meanwhile, Sevilla winger Dodi Lukebakio returns to the starting lineup after serving a one-match ban for Belgium, while Thomas Meunier is available for selection after training this week.

EURO 2024: France v Belgium predictions

Two-time winners of the European Championship, France are among the favourites to lift the coveted prize, paying +550 outright odds at Nags.bet.

With nine goals in the qualifiers, Mbappe is the only French player to have scored in the group stage. Already with a goal to his name, online bookmakers are offering a great odds of +140 for the Real Madrid recruit in the anytime goalscorer market.

France have won their last three meetings with Belgium and should do enough to get the result in Dusseldorf, with the top EURO 2024 betting sites offering +110 for them to win.

Sports betting picks