- What: 2nd round of EURO 2024, Group E, Netherlands – France
- Where: Germany, Leipzig
- When: June 21, 22:00 (local time – 21:00)
- Stadium: Red Bull Arena (44,300 seats)
Both teams won their first matches, albeit narrowly, and are now leading the group. Now is the time to determine who will advance to the playoffs and who will be in danger until the last round. However, in the event of a draw, all early exits are canceled, and they will have to fight until the end.
Netherlands
The most promising team of all time often falls short of the points they seemingly deserve. But not this time – they managed to overcome Poland 1:2 in a nail-biting match, scoring the decisive goal in the 83rd minute. Although they conceded first in the opening of the match – like most of the top teams in this EURO. Not all giants managed to turn the game around after a poor start. Kudos to the Dutch for their character!
Key stats from the Poland – Netherlands match. Ball possession: 34% - 66%, xG: 1.27 - 1.25, Shots on goal: 12 - 21, Shots on target: 7 - 4, Accurate passes: 232 - 514, Of which in the final third: 82 - 199, Passing accuracy in the final third: 77% - 82%. The numbers clearly show that the Dutch are quite wasteful, failing to convert a large share of their attacks into dangerous moments, despite controlling the ball.
France
They struggled greatly to defeat Austria, who thwarted all attempts at attacking with a barrage of fouls, 5 of which resulted in yellow cards. If not for the own goal by Austrian Weber, it's uncertain whether France would have won or if the match would have ended in a draw. It should be noted that in between the rough play, the Austrians managed to counterattack quite dangerously.
Key stats from the Austria – France match. Ball possession: 52% - 48%, xG: 0.83 - 1.88, Shots on goal: 6 - 14, Shots on target: 3 - 3, Accurate passes: 401 - 390, Of which in the final third: 137 - 108, Passing accuracy in the final third: 69% - 77%. It is clear that the French were not ready for such tough resistance, and the opponents' game plan almost worked, but not completely.
Prediction
The play of both teams is primarily associated with attack and creativity. The French were thoroughly battered and chased around in the last game – they will be more cautious. The probable loss of Mbappé due to a broken nose could seriously affect France's offensive effectiveness. The Netherlands have a great chance to take points from their opponent.
Predicted xGscore: The Netherlands will not lose
