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Welcome to our Early Bird write-up of Austria vs France, in this prediction, team news, lineups and fixtures preview. Didier Deschamps’ French side are one of the big favourites to win Euro 2024 and get their campaign underway in Dusseldorf against Austria.
Les Bleus are expected to start with a victory but Ralf Ragnick’s Austrian outfit proved to be no mugs in the qualifying campaign. French expert Steve Wyss breaks down the game with a full in-depth betting preview.
Our guide takes a different approach to any other tournament preview. The analysis and insight you’ll find in the document is based on our in-house betting data which goes back decades. This betting data is on the following markets:
Using this as a foundation, we’ve split the guide into several different sections:
For a free copy of the Euro 2024, click the button below:
Euro 2024, Monday, June 17th, 20:00 (UK)
France are the favourites to win this game but their defence can’t always be relied on at major tournaments. In qualifying they kept numerous clean sheets but that was in a group which contained the likes of Gibraltar and Greece. It is worth mentioning that in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Les Bleus only kept one clean sheet which was in the semi finals vs a tired Morocco. They conceded in all group games in Qatar and can sometimes take their eye off the ball at the back.
France heads into the tournament with just one clean sheet in seven games, including friendlies; and that shutout came vs Gibraltar. Austria know that if they are going to get a positive result here, they will probably have to score a goal. ‘Das Team’ have players such as Sabitzer and Gregoritsch who can cause problems, and the Austrians are also likely to be strong from set pieces. They have scored in their last 12 matches, including a 2-0 win against Germany and a 6-1 thrashing against Turkey. BTTS – Yes looks generous at odds of 1.80 in a match that could be more open than expected.
This is partly a follow-up bet on the previous pick. It is tempting to take France to win and BTTS-Yes at a juicy 3.10, but instead, I think a better percentage play is to back Les Bleus to win with over 2.5 goals. This covers the potential 3-0 or 4-0 scoreline, which is certainly possible. France are as short as 1.50 to win outright, which isn’t actually a bad price. However, we can bump up the odds to 2.20 by taking this combination.
All of the French victories at the World Cup bar one match finished with over 2.5 goals. The only time in qualifying that didn’t happen with a victory was in the two fixtures vs Northern Ireland and Greece, both sides who are known for being ultra defensive and parking the bus. I don’t think Austria will do that here so the goals potential is there. France should show their ultimate class and get the victory. But with a shutout perhaps unlikely then this feels like a decent angle in which to back them.
With tournament football, it can be hard to predict the intensity and excitement in the early rounds. Sometimes, these types of events can produce enthralling football right from the off, which then inspires other teams. Alternatively, there might be an edginess and nervous feel, and we will soon know in the first few days. France is usually the sort of team that likes to make an early statement, though. In the World Cup, they raced to a 2-1 lead vs Australia at halftime. Five of their seven fixtures at the World Cup contained at least one goal in the first half, so I am drawn to taking over 1.5 Asian goals at an odds-on price.
Austria is usually a team that likes to play on the front foot and is another team that likes to impose themselves early. There is slightly more chance that they could operate defensively here, but Ralf Ragnick will fancy his chances of hitting France early on the break. Nine of the last 12 Austrian fixtures have contained at least one first-half goal, which adds weight to this particular bet. Taking the Asian goal line of 1.25 in the first half gives some security of a half loss if exactly one goal is scored. I think this is a good percentage bet because this feels like a low chance of being scoreless at the break.
Austria vs France Prediction odds via bet365 as at 21:00, June 3rd, 2024. Odds may now differ.
With David Alaba ruled out, Leopold Querfeld should be in the running to start for Austria in defence. They are expected to use a 4-2-3-1 formation. The French lineup is usually quite easy to predict, especially in midfield and attack. They should be in a 4-3-3 system and the only real question comes at the back.
Could William Saliba force his way into the side after a stellar campaign with Arsenal? Benjamin Pavard is also an option for Deschamps either at centre or right back. In goal, Mike Maignan is a slight doubt with a finger injury which would promote Brice Samba if he wasn’t deemed fit enough.
Austria possible starting lineup:
Schlager, Posch, Querfeld, Danso, Mwene, Seiwald, Grillitsch, Laimer, Baumgartner, Sabitzer, Gregoritsch
France possible starting lineup:
Maignan, Hernandez, Konate, Upamecano, Clauss, Tchouameni, Rabiot, Griezmann, Mbappe, Giroud, Dembele
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