France vs Poland: Preview, lineups and predictions

*Odds are subject to change

Poland became the first nation to be eliminated from Euro 2024 following their 3-1 defeat to Austria. They were also the only country to suffer this fate after the second round of group-stage matches. Although they are destined to finish bottom of the group no matter what happens in Dortmund, they will want to restore some pride when they take on France.

Les Bleus have more to play for than just pride in this Group D clash. If they can secure a better result than the Netherlands’s management against Austria, Didier Deschamps’ side will finish in first place, which should give them an easier opponent in the next round. To avoid progressing as one of the best third-place finishing sides, all they require is a draw, but you can be confident they will not be looking to settle for this.

• Location: Dortmund
• Stadium: BVB Stadion Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park)
• Date: 25 June 2024 
• Kick-off Time: 18:00 CEST (17:00 BST)
• Referee: Marco Guida (Italy)
• VAR: Massimiliano Irrati (Italy)

France Team News

The big question for France ahead of this game is whether or not Kylian Mbappe, who is recovering from a broken nose, will feature. The French side looked flat without him during the goalless draw with the Netherlands and will want him back in action ASAP. The 25-year-old was an unused substitute for that match but has since enjoyed some practice in a behind-closed-doors friendly. Promisingly, Mbappe scored two and set up another couple in this clash against Paderborn U21s.

Outside of this, France have no injury concerns so Deschamps could end up naming an unchanged line-up as he seeks to gain a little more momentum.

Poland Team News

Robert Lewandowski was only fit enough to play the final half an hour of Poland’s last game. Having enjoyed some more recovery time since the Barcelona striker is in real contention to return to the starting eleven. A bigger doubt in the Poland squad is Bartosz Salamon, who did not play against Austria due to an ankle problem.

Michał Probierz confirmed that first-choice goalkeeper, the 83-capped Wojciech Szczęsny, will play no part in this match. No reason was given for this, but it does mean that Łukasz Skorupski, or possibly Marcin Bułka, will try to keep the French attack at bay.

France vs Poland H2H Record and Key Numbers

Poland would love to restore some pride here with a win, but it has not beaten France since 1982. Even just scoring against Les Bleus has been a big problem in recent meetings. In their last six clashes with the French, Poland has managed just two goals.

Had Poland not been dealt with as such a difficult group, perhaps they could have made it to the last sixteenth of Euro 2024. After all, they did approach the tournament on an eight-match unbeaten streak. France, meanwhile, is the current tournament favourite, but it has only won three of its last seven clashes. Les Bleus will likely need to show us a little more ability if they are to go all the way in Germany.

Possible Lineups

• France (4-4-1-1): Maignan – Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez – Dembélé, Kanté, Tchouaméni, Rabiot – Griezmann – Thuram
• Poland (3-5-2): Skorupski – Bednarek, Dawidowicz, Kiwior – Frankowski, Slisz, Romanczuk, Zieliński, Zalewski – Buksa, Lewandowski

Where to Watch France vs Poland Euro 2024 – TV and Online Live Streaming

Poland’s TVP will be airing this match live, as will TF1 and beIN Sports 1 in France. UK viewers can catch the action on BBC One or BBC iPlayer.

Prediction

Poland may have been the first team eliminated from Euro 2024, but it has not been the worst side in action. Probierz’s men have been competitive in both tests so far and will not go down without a fight here. We still expect that Les Bleus will grind out a win, though, with or without Mbappe. They have been very solid defensively and are up against a Polish side without their first-choice goalkeeper.

For more France – Poland match predictions, you can check our tipsters’ page about this game.