A clash between European heavyweights is on the cards as France and the Netherlands prepare to do battle for a spot at the UEFA EURO 2024 competition.

European heavyweights France and the Netherlands will kick off their respective quests to qualify for the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament when Les Bleus welcome the Oranje to Paris on Friday evening. Given that the other three teams in Group B are relative minnows - with Greece, Gibraltar, and the Republic of Ireland making up the rest of the group - many expect a battle for top spot to be between France and the Netherlands.

This is the first game for France after their loss in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final. Despite Kylian Mbappe netting a hat-trick, it was not enough to prevent Lionel Messi and Argentina from winning the title and denying Didier Deschamps's side the chance to become the third nation in history (after Italy and Brazil) to successfully win back to back titles. However, they will look to put that disappointment firmly behind them as they aim to secure a spot at the upcoming EURO competition - a tournament that has not brought them the best of luck in recent times.

Back in 2016, France hosted the competition, but were beaten by Portugal in the final. That being said, Les Bleus have a strong track record when it comes to qualifying for that competition, with just one loss in their last 19 such matches. France's showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup did help to allay some major concerns, especially following their rather disappointing performance in the Nations League during which they shockingly lost to Croatia and Denmark and only narrowly avoided what would have been a humiliating relegation from League A.

In addition, while France do hold the superior head to head advantage in recent meetings with the Netherlands - with wins in five of their last six meetings - Deschamps will hope that some off the pitch drama will not serve as a rather unpleasant distraction. Earlier this week, he made major waves by picking Mbappe as the next captain following Hugo Lloris's retirement, and the youngster's selection did not go down well more senior and seasoned players such as Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands, who are under the guidance of Ronald Koeman for a second time following Louis van Gaal's retirement, also experienced disappointment at last year's World Cup. The Oranje managed to battle their way back from 2-0 down thanks to a brace from Wout Weghorst to deservedly pull even, but were ultimately beaten by Messi and Argentina on spot-kicks in a match that marked with plenty of controversy throughout.

The loss to Argentina ended a 19 match unbeaten streak for the Oranje, who will now look to rebound against a very familiar opponent, but will need to overcome a frustrating record that has seen them wait a very long time for a win in France. In fact, the Netherlands' last victory on French soil was nearly a century ago, when they beat their opponents 6-1.

Team news: France vs Netherlands

France: Les Bleus have undergone some big changes since last year, with Hugo Lloris, Karim Benzema, and Raphael Varane all retiring from the squad. In addition, both Wesley Fofana and William Saliba had had to withdraw from the team due to injury.

Netherlands: A flu bug has struck the Netherlands camp at the worst possible time, forcing Matthijs de Ligt, Sven Botman, Cody Gakpo, Joey Veerman and Bart Verbruggen to all withdraw, while both Frenkie de Jong and Steven Bergwijn are ruled out as a result of injuries.

Match facts: France vs Netherlands

  • France have won five of their last six meetings with the Netherlands
  • The Netherlands have not beaten France on French soil since 1936

Broadcast info: France vs Netherlands

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Match details, result and original broadcast info

France 4 - 0 Netherlands

March 24, 2023 3:45pmStade de France (Saint-Denis)

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