Deprived of Mbappé, France faces Belgium this Monday evening, from 8:45 p.m., Brussels on the occasion of the 4th day of the League of Nations.
20:48 – Maignan obliged to already work
Belgium is the first team to stand out. After an overflow on the left and a good cross from Trossard, De Ketelaere manages to put it behind for Tielemans, but the Belgian captain’s shot is directly on Maignan, who catches the ball.
20:46 – Here we go between Belgium and France!
Bosnian referee Irfan Peljto whistles the kick-off for this meeting between France and Belgium on the lawn of the King Baudouin stadium. It’s the French who are in charge!
20:42 – The players enter the pitch
The players from Belgium and France enter the King Baudouin lawn. The kick-off will be given just after the anthems of the two nations.
20:39 – Update on the classification of group A
After three matches played in this Nations League and before the two matches (Belgium – France and Italy – Israel), here is an update on the ranking in Group 2 of League A:
- 1) Italy – 7 points (+3)
- 2) France – 6 points (+3)
- 3) Belgium – 4 points (0)
- 4) Israel – 0 points (-6)
20:35 – Belgium-Faes: “It’s up to us to put out a big match”
Former Stade de Reims defender Wout Faes, indisputable starter with Belgium under the orders of Domenico Tedesco, gave his opinion on this new duel this Monday evening against the France team at a press conference. “The two recent meetings against the French were very different. We must be able to play better for longer. You cannot press for 90 minutes, he explained on Sunday. I think we must defend more as a unit, that could have helped us to score a goal, running behind the result is much more complicated. France is a very good team, it’s up to us to put out a big game. They have several players who are among the top in the world.
20:30 – Belgium-Tedesco: “It would be great to win against France”
Under pressure because of Belgium’s disappointing results in recent months, coach Domenico Tedesco has not lost hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Nations League. But we have to win this Monday evening against the Blues to maintain real hope. “We will have to show courage and absolutely take advantage of advantageous situations, therefore be efficient and try to lead! If we have three or four chances in the first half, we will have to score,” he logically explained in press conference. I still believe in second place in the group (…) It would be great to win against France. Is the team discouraged to lose against the French? The glass is always half full in my opinion (smile). But it is clear that we will need a fantastic match to get something done, but look at the core they have…”
20:25 – France-Deschamps: “I don’t think we can talk about ascendancy”
The French team remains on four consecutive victories in all competitions against Belgium, including twice this year: in the round of 16 of Euro 2024 (1-0) and in the Nations League a month ago, at Lyon (2-0). But Didier Deschamps does not think that this gives the Blues an advantage: “The last matches are history. I am not convinced that it gives a psychological advantage, explained the French coach at a press conference on Sunday. We will have a Belgian team motivated, as it always is, but especially a little more on Monday I don’t think we can talk about an ascendant because it’s not the same context, not the same players either.
20:20 – France’s favorite
For this League of Nations meeting, France is given the favorite by the various sports betting sites for this match on the 4th day of the competition. The odds for a French victory range between 2.1 and 2.4 while that for a Belgian victory at home is between 2.5 and 3. The odds for a draw are around 3.3.
8:15 p.m. – A match to follow on TF1
This match between Belgium and France will obviously be broadcast unencrypted on French television since it will be visible on TF1, a channel for which you do not need to subscribe. To follow this meeting on the Internet between the Red Devils and the Blues, from 8:45 p.m. this Monday, October 14, you must go to the TF1 website.
20:10 – Mbappé, the absentee everyone is talking about
Didier Deschamps once again had to put together a team without his main asset and captain, Kylian Mbappé. Absent from this gathering, although he had played with Real Madrid after the announcement of his withdrawal from the Blues, Mbappé was seen in Sweden at the end of last week, which did not fail to cause controversy. Without this disturbing the French players. “Frankly, I think we’re doing it a little too much. Everyone has the right to think what they want, but every time it’s Kylian, it takes on disproportionate proportions, explained the new captain at a press conference. of the Blues, Aurélien Tchouaméni We spoke with him before the match, after the match, and where he followed him does not necessarily matter, in truth His love for the French team. It’s no longer to be dismantled. We can’t wait for it to come back.”
20:05 – Belgium: Openda holder
Obliged, or almost, to win this Monday evening against the Blues, Belgium will have to do without its veterans Kevin De Bruyne, Thomas Meunier and Romelu Lukaku (left to rest by coach Domenico Tedesco for this truce, editor’s note) , not to mention Thibaut Courtois, who has withdrawn from the national team for the moment. Under pressure, Tedesco trusts former RC Lens striker Loïs Openda up front, supported by Doku, Trossard and De Ketelaere in a 4-2-3-1 system. Belgium’s starting lineup: Casteels – Debast, Faes, Theate, Castagne – Mangala, Tielemans – De Ketelaere, Trossard, Doku – Openda.
8:00 p.m. – France: Kolo Muani preferred to Thuram
For this match between Belgium and France, Didier Deschamps is making several changes compared to the victory against Israel on Thursday (4-1). Up front, Randal Kolo Muani finally starts, preferred to Marcus Thuram. His PSG teammates Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé start on the sides. In his 4-2-3-1, Deschamps chose to place Mattéo Guendouzi higher than Aurélien Tchouaméni and Manu Koné in midfield. France’s starting lineup: Maignan – Conquered, Conquered, Saliba, Worthy – Ma. Cone, Tchouameni (c) – O. Dembele, Guendouzi, Barcola – Kolo Muani.
19:55 – France remains a victory against Israel
The French team remains on a victory without shining in Budapest against the Israel team (4-1). In front of just over 2,000 spectators and in pouring rain, the Blues provided minimum service against the Israelis, thanks to goals from Camavinga, Nkunku, Guendouzi and Barcola. But the French performance disappointed, against the weakest team in the group (which also includes Belgium and Italy).
19:50 – The Blues aim for qualification
The players of the French team have the opportunity to take a big step towards the quarter-finals of the League of Nations if they succeed this Monday evening in the Belgian capital against the Belgians. A victory would in fact give the Blues five points ahead of the Red Devils two days before the end of the group stage. As a reminder, the first two teams in each League A group will compete in the quarter-finals, which will be played in the form of two-way matches. The four winners of the quarter-finals will finally compete in the last four at least in June 2025.
7:45 p.m. – Good evening everyone!
Good evening and welcome to everyone to follow the match of the 4th day of the League of Nations between Belgium and France. Kick-off will be given at 8:45 p.m. on the pitch of the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels.
