The international break brings about qualifying matches for the 2024 European Championship, with France hosting Ireland at the Parc des Princes on Thursday.
Boasting a 100% record, France find themselves atop Group B – six points clear of second-placed Greece and nine points ahead of third-place Ireland after four matches.
Shane Duffy headers are a cheat-code in Football Tennis 🥵😂 pic.twitter.com/qXZzSdgJ5q— Ireland Football ⚽️🇮🇪 (@IrelandFootball) September 4, 2023
Shane Duffy headers are a cheat-code in Football Tennis 🥵😂 pic.twitter.com/qXZzSdgJ5q
As for Ireland, they have recorded one win and two losses so far, although they still sit above the Netherlands and Gibraltar.
France kicked off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a 4-0 thrashing of the Netherlands back in March, with Kylian Mbappe bagging a brace in the rout.
After beating Ireland 1-0, Les Bleus claimed a 3-0 victory over Gibraltar before defeating Greece 1-0 in their previous outings back in June.
Not only have France scored nine goals across four European Championship qualifiers, but they have also kept four clean sheets in the process.
When you look at the bigger picture, France have won seven of their last eight matches in all competitions, losing the World Cup final on penalties to Argentina in December.
Meanwhile, Ireland pushed France all the way in their first qualifier, only to suffer a narrow 1-0 defeat in Dublin following Benjamin Pavard’s 50th-minute winner.
The Irish also suffered a slender 2-1 loss against Greece in their second outing, although they bounce back with a 3-0 victory over Gibraltar last time out.
It is worth noting that Ireland have avoided defeat at half time in each of their previous 12 encounters across all competitions, indicating that they tend to start strong.
The Irish can also take confidence from the fact that they have lost just five of their last 33 European Championship qualifiers.
Head-to-head: Following France’s 1-0 victory back in March, Ireland have lost five of their past six meetings with Les Bleus in all competitions.
In terms of the overall head-to-head record, Ireland have managed to win just four of their 18 previous meetings with France, suffering nine defeats along the way.
Team news: France’s squad contains Kylian Mbappe, who has scored 40 goals in 70 international games, as well as veteran striker Olivier Giroud, who has netted 54 goals in 124 caps.
Ireland, on the other hand, have called up uncapped Udinese defender Festy Ebosele. At the opposite end of the spectrum, James McClean is in line to make his 101st international appearance.
Given France’s strong record against Ireland – and the gulf in quality between the two squads – all the signs point towards a home victory on Thursday.
Forebet predicts that France will claim all three points at the expense of Ireland, keeping a fifth successive clean sheet in the process.