Following a month of domestic action across the continent to kickstart the new season, it’s time for the first international break of the campaign. It’s full steam ahead to UEFA Euro 2024 next summer but until then, we have to figure out who will be there. Today, we’ll be taking a look at this week’s qualifier between France and Ireland.
France Form GuideLes Bleus fought hard to keep hold of their position as world champions but in Qatar, they wound up falling at the final hurdle. The next step in their journey takes them to the Euros, a competition that hasn’t been great to them in recent years. They still have one of the best squads in world football, though, so you can imagine they’ll be feeling somewhat confident.
Ever since the World Cup final, France have been unstoppable. They’ve played four qualifiers and they’ve won all four, defeating Netherlands, Ireland, Gibraltar and Greece without conceding a single goal.
Ireland Form GuideIreland is a proud nation across all sporting fronts and that much is obvious. They have been to the top of the mountain in so many different practices but within the realm of football, it still seems as if there’s work to be done. They need to restore that national pride within the squad itself and from there, trust in bright youngsters that are actually willing to give their heart and soul to the badge.
After two narrow defeats to France and Greece to open up their qualifying campaign, the Irish had to get back on track - and thankfully for them, they did, earning a 3-0 win against Gibraltar.
Match PredictionThere’s a long and storied history between these two and it’s led to a pretty bitter rivalry - but it feels like there’s still a clear gulf between them in terms of their overall quality. We expect France to win but in terms of an actual prediction, we’re going to back under 2.5 goals scored.
