We’ve been witnessing the same story in France for the last decade: a continuous immense quality within every squad which gives them the right to consider anything but a final of a major competition a failure. As a result, they reached the grand final in three of their last four tournaments, and they want nothing less in Germany either. The biggest challenge could be England, but based on the Three Lions’ last night’s performance, they have a long way to go.The manager, Didier Deschamps, is still motivated as on the first day, even though he’s been on Les Blues’ bench for 12 years. On top of that, no defence in the world does not shake in fear of Kylian Mbappé, while Antoine Griezmann has been the heart and soul of the national team for years. However, to win the first European Championship trophy after EURO 2000, Mbappé and Griezmann will have to fill the shoes of Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, the unstoppable duo of the campaign in Belgium and the Netherlands 24 years ago.Mbappe and Thuram look-a-likes?! “I’m handsome and he’s a Ninja Turtle”Both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups have shown that Mbappé knows how to dominate any opponent and keep the team alive even when it is on the ropes. With such a leader and a bunch of key players from the greatest European sides, it’s crystal clear why the French are consistently among the biggest favourites and always eye the trophy. However, he scored as many as 12 goals at World Cups but not a single one at the European Championships, and he will certainly look forward to changing his fortunes in Germany.As for the formation, Deschamps varies between two options: 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3. In both cases, Griezmann has the playmaker role, Mbappé is in the left flank, while Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni give the strength in the midfield. Truth be said, N’Golo Kanté is also there, but his heyday seems to be long gone. The place in the goal is reserved for AC Milan’s Mike Maignan. His teammate Théo Hernandez will be in the left defensive side, and Arsenal’s William Saliba should undoubtedly be one of the centre-backs.Kylian Mbappe is yet to score a single goal at the Euros 🤯 pic.twitter.com/xY5TumSIlf— LiveScore (@livescore) June 17, 2024 Anyway, even to the football laymen, it is clear that almost everything in the French gameplan will depend on Real Madrid’s newest acquisition. And the stats just confirm it. Namely, ever since he debuted for the national team in 2017, Mbappé has had more goals (48) and assists (27) than any other French player. The captain’s armband will be around his arm for the first time in a major tournament, and we’ll see whether it will represent an additional motivation or pressure for the 25-year-old. His recent statements regarding politics have scared the French public a bit, implying that the first star and a team leader is not completely focused on the pitch.Whole world is talking about Mbappe, and Mbappe is talking about… politics!?On the opposite side of the field at Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, Austria awaits Les Blues. At first glance, the team that shouldn’t cause much trouble for Deschamps’ crew. However, at the second one, the expectations slightly change. Namely, Austria hasn’t lost a game since October and had six consecutive triumphs before a draw against Switzerland in their ultimate test before the EURO 2024. Moreover, they have lost only one of their previous 16 clashes and only once conceded more than one goal in these 16 matches. Former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick created a distinctive style of play that has paid off so far.Austria’s biggest strength lies not in outstanding individuals but in togetherness. Of course, like in every team, some players stand out. In this case, the leaders are Inter Milan’s Marko Arnautović and Borussia Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer. The French will also have to keep an eye on RB Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner who scored in five consecutive matches for the national team.##NAJAVA_MECA_8161492##EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – GROUP STAGEFridayGermany – Scotland 5-1 (3-0)/Wirtz 10, Musiala 19, Havertz 45+1 pen, Fullkrug 68, Can 90+3 – Rudiger 87 og/SaturdayHungary – Switzerland 1-3 (0-2)/Varga 66 – Duah 12, Aebischer 45, Embolo 90+3/Spain – Croatia 3-0 (3-0)/Morata 29, Ruiz 32, Carvajal 45+2/Italy – Albania 2-1 (2-1)/Bastoni 11, Barella 16 – Bajrami 1/SundayPoland – Netherlands 1-2 (1-1)/Buksa 16 – Gakpo 29, Weghorst 83/Slovenia – Denmark 1-1 (0-1)/Janza 77 – Eriksen 17/Serbia – England 0-1 (0-1)/Bellingham 12/Monday16.00: (3.60) Romania (3.35) Ukraine (2.10)19.00: (1.48) Belgium (4.30) Slovakia (7.00)22.00: (6.25) Austria (4.20) France (1.53)Tuesday19.00: (1.85) Turkey (3.50) Georgia (4.40)22.00: (1.55) Portugal (4.00) Czech R. (6.25)***odds are subject to change***
