Austria, known as Das Team, has never made it past the round of 16 in the European Championships. In contrast, Les Bleus have won the title twice but are looking to rectify some mistakes from the last few years.
Ralf Rangnick, despite his troubled tenure at Manchester United, has rejuvenated the Austrian squad. Austria, just one point behind Belgium in their qualifiers, secured six wins from eight matches and are making their fourth Euros appearance.
Austria’s past campaigns in 2008 and 2016 ended without a win, but they showed promise in 2020 by defeating North Macedonia and Ukraine before losing to Italy in extra time.
Since a narrow 3-2 loss to Belgium in the qualifiers, Rangnick's squad has achieved six consecutive wins before drawing with Switzerland on June 8. Notable victories in this streak include a 2-0 win over Germany and a 6-1 thrashing of Turkey, highlighting Austria's strong form.
Despite losing to Belgium, Austria has only one defeat in their last 16 matches across all competitions, and they haven’t failed to score since September 2022, which poses a threat to France.
France, despite winning the World Cup in 2018 and the Nations League in 2021, has faced heartbreak in recent major tournaments. Kylian Mbappe’s missed penalty led to a Euro 2020 exit, and despite his Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup, France lost to Argentina. Didier Deschamps, the only person to win a World Cup as both player and manager, continues to lead France, aiming for their first European title in 24 years.
France’s recent Euros campaigns have been mixed, with a notable run in 2016 ending in a loss to Portugal in the final. Their qualifying rounds included a record 14-0 win over Gibraltar, though a recent goalless draw with Canada was a disappointing send-off.
However, France hasn't lost a group-stage match since Euro 2012 and performed well against Austria in the Nations League, with a 1-1 draw and a 2-0 victory in their last two encounters.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Several key Austrian players will miss the Euros due to injuries, including David Alaba and Sasa Kalajdzic, both sidelined with ACL injuries. RB Leipzig's Xaver Schlager is also out with a serious knee problem.Despite these setbacks, Austria's most-capped player, veteran striker Marko Arnautovic, is part of the squad. However, Michael Gregoritsch is expected to start as the main striker in Ralf Rangnick's 4-2-3-1 formation. Right-back Stefan Posch has recovered from a knee issue and is likely to start, especially since Gernot Trauner missed training on Friday as a precaution.
For France, Kingsley Coman has recovered from an illness and should be ready to play. Kylian Mbappe is also fit despite a minor knee scare in the friendly win over Luxembourg. However, Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni is still recovering from a foot injury that kept him out of the Champions League final, so Juventus' Adrien Rabiot is expected to start in midfield. Tchouameni is back in training but will likely be rested for the match against Austria.
N'Golo Kante, after a successful first year at Al-Ittihad, is set to start in midfield, edging out Warren Zaire-Emery and Eduardo Camavinga. In defense, Arsenal's William Saliba was initially expected to be left out despite his excellent Premier League season, but Didier Deschamps has changed his mind and will start Saliba over Ibrahima Konate.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Austria possible starting lineup:Pentz; Posch, Danso, Wober, Mwene; Siewald, Grillitsch; Laimer, Sabitzer, Baumgartner; Gregoritsch
France possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Thuram
EXPERT PREDICTION
Austria 1-3 France
Despite missing Alaba in defense, Austria has been formidable under Rangnick and can realistically hope for an upset based on their recent performances.
France's preparations have been slightly disrupted by a recent viral outbreak, but Deschamps's dynamic attackers are expected to find a way through and secure an early three points.
