In this article…
France do battle with Spain in a mammoth Euro 2024 semi-final clash at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Tuesday night. Our Spain v France betting preview and bet builder tips for Spain France are live and ready for your viewing.
Here is a full breakdown of just how Les Bleus made it to the final four, and a deep dive into the most prominent player market trends that have occurred throughout the tournament, including which players look great value to add to your potential bet builders.
For a clear view of our wide variety of football tips, our Euro 2024 predictions are worth a browse, they include Euro 2024 acca tips, shots on target predictions and cards betting tips for your bet builder picking.
Our list of Euro 2024 Free Bets and the best bet builder bookmakers showcase the best offers on the market today.
On with the expert insight into France…
📊 France Euro 2024 Data
👕 Player Best Bets
🚀 Shots
In spite of their attacking issues, France have managed 16.1 shots per 90 on average at Euro 2024 – ranking the third-highest of all nations. An unlikely contributor has been defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who has taken at least two attempts at goal in all four of his appearances for Les Bleus. Standing at 6ft 2in, Tchouameni is an ever-present threat from set-pieces, while he also fancies himself from distance.
✅ Shots Market Best Player: Aurelien Tchouameni
🧤 GK Saves
Mike Maignan has been an influential presence and key to France’s stellar defensive record, earning his record of four clean sheets from five games. The AC Milan player has produced 16 saves from five games, averaging 3.2 saves per game.
He has made three or more saves in four of those games – the one failure being against Poland, with two saves. Spain currently top the charts for the highest shots per 90 at Euro 2024, with 18.75, which suggests Maignan is once poised for a busy night.
✅ Goalkeeper Saves Market Best Player: Mike Maignan
⚔️ Tackles
Jules Kounde was kept busy by Rafael Leao in the quarter-finals, as the Barcelona man finished with four tackles. He has played every minute for France, which highlights his importance under Didier Deschamps.
Kounde has managed 15 tackles in five games, averaging three tackles per game. Up against Nico Williams, he is once again set for a tough night and will have to be on top form. He made four tackles against Jeremy Doku, who is similar to Nico Williams in terms of his directness, so that is a matchup to keep an eye on.
✅ Tackles Market Best Player: Jules Kounde
🛑 Fouls
Ousmane Dembele featured off the bench against Portugal but single-handedly changed the flow of the game with his energy. Considering he also scored his penalty in that game, Deschamps should consider bringing him back into the starting XI.
Focussing more on the defensive end, Dembele has shown his willingness to contribute at both ends by tracking back. He has managed a foul in all four appearances so far and will match up against Marc Cucurella, who has drawn nine fouls in four starts – the most of any Spain player.
✅ Fouls Market Best Player: Ousmane Dembele
📖 Route to the Semi-Final
France got off on the right foot against Austria, with a 1-0 victory at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf. Eyebrows were raised, however, as the performance perhaps failed to live up to expectations from an attacking perspective. The only goal of the game came from Max Wober, who headed into his own net. Possibly the most notable incident in that game was a collision between Kylian Mbappe and Kevin Danso, resulting in the former’s broken nose.
France then played out a goalless stalemate against the Dutch, as Mbappe was unable to feature. The Netherlands sat back and invited French attacks, although Les Bleus’ efforts were in vain. They generated 1.33 xG to no avail.
Matchday three saw France take just one point against Poland, who had already been eliminated with a fourth-place finish prior to kick-off. Mbappe returned to the starting lineup, with a protective mask, and got on the scoresheet via a spot kick, his first goal at a European Championship. Robert Lewandowski managed an equaliser, also from the spot in the 79th minute. That ultimately proved costly, as France were condemned to a second-place finish behind Austria, banished onto the tougher side of the draw alongside the likes of Spain, Germany, Belgium, and Portugal.
France were once again unconvincing in the round of 16, as they edged past Belgium thanks to a late Jan Vertonghen own goal. Despite accumulating 20 shots, Koen Casteels made just two saves for Belgium, who looked relatively comfortable throughout the game – France generally struggled to penetrate the low block and resorted to low-xG longshots. Despite their domination, France were toothless going forward.
Only penalties could separate Portugal and France in the quarter-finals, as defences prevailed to keep the game scoreless throughout the full 120 minutes. Mbappe was unable to see out extra time, as he was taken off in the 105th minute. Luckily for Deschamps, his services were not required. Joao Felix hit the post from his penalty, and Les Bleus capitalised, with a perfect five goals from five spot kicks to book their place in the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
An unwanted trend for France has been the lack of goals. Not a single French player has scored from open play yet, which is remarkable given the plethora of attacking talent they have available. However, Les Bleus certainly deserve credit for their defensive solidity – they have conceded just one goal so far, and it was from the penalty spot.
* All odds displayed correctly at the time of publishing *
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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