Spain v France

Spain and France face off in the semi-finals of the Nations League, with the victor setting up a final against either Germany or Portugal. Spain will be eager to get their hands on this trophy again having lifted it in 2023.

French football is in a delicate place at the moment, the squad is just as talented as it has been in previous years, but there are question marks over manager Didier Deschamps, with accusations of player favouritism and stale football.

Both sides had to battle through difficult quarter-finals to reach this stage, Spain saw off Netherlands with 10 goals across the two legs, while France overturned a 2-0 loss against Croatia in the first leg to progress via penalties in the second.

⭐ Spain v France Best Bet

Yamal scored against Netherlands in the second leg of Spain’s quarter-final tie and can build on an excellent domestic season in which he registered 39 goal contributions across his 55 appearances in all competitions (18 goals, 21 assists) - astronomical numbers for a player that is still only 17 years old.

He ended the regular season strongly with four goal contributions across his final five appearances and he can carry that form into this Nations League tie. Yamal scored against France in the most recent head-to-head meeting between the sides at the European Championships last summer.

👕 Spain v France Predicted XI

🔎 Spain v France Players to Watch

🔴 Robin Le Normand

Le Normand is incredibly reckless, he’s picked up three cautions across his four appearances in the Nations League this season, including a red card. He’s averaging 2.53 fouls committed per 90 in the Nations League this season, reinforcing the narrative that the centre back regularly mistimes his challenges.

This is a trait that has stuck with Le Normand across the regular season, he averaged 1.47 fouls committed per 90 in La Liga, picking up eight yellow cards in the process. He’ll be up against Kylian Mbappe who is averaging 1.67 fouls won per 90 in the Nations League this season.

🔵 Desire Doue

Desire Doue came off the bench in France’s 2-0 win over Croatia in the second leg of their quarter-final clash and was impactful. He had four shots in just 54 minutes of action, with two of these attempts finding the target, he also converted his penalty in the shootout.

Doue is also worth keeping an eye on for goal contributions and in the shot market more generally. He’s priced at 1.66 for 2+ shots which may be a good option for a bet builder pick, and is also priced at 3.00 for 3+ shots which is an excellent price when considering Super Sub - France have a wealth of attacking options that could replace Doue which would keep all of these selections alive until the final whistle.

It remains to be seen whether he will start here after playing in Saturday night's final, it could be wise to wait for confirmed line-ups before backing this bet, if he starts, these odds represent great value.

📂 Spain v France Cheat Sheet

We've been all over the Nations League semi-finals, with our expert Football Betting Predictions diving into all the action. Make sure to check out our Nations League Accumulator Tips so you don’t miss any of our coverage.

Be sure to check out our Bet Builder Stats tool too, the best freely available data source for punting on football, plus our collection of the best Free Bet Offers.

📊 Spain v France Form and Tactics

Spain have been on an excellent run of form under Luis de la Fuente, who has revolutionised this Spain side, making them serious contenders for all of the top prizes in international football. Their last defeat came in a friendly against Columbia in March 2024, you have to go back to 2023 to find their only other loss in recent history, which came against Scotland during Euro qualifying. 

In this period, Spain have got the better of France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England and Croatia, which shows how much they have improved under the new coach. Spain have history in this competition, they lifted the trophy in 2023 after beating Croatia in the final.

France will be slightly less optimistic about their chances of coming through this tie given the noise that still surrounds the French camp, especially around Didier Deschamps and Kylian Mbappe, who had a high profile falling out towards the end of last year. That being said, France arguably have the best forward options of any international side with Mbappe, Doue, Dembele and Olise just some of the names that make up this French frontline. 

The most recent meeting between these sides took place at the European Championships as Spain ran out 2-1 winners. It was a game that was notable for Lamine Yamal really announcing himself to the footballing world with a superb effort from distance.

🏁 Spain v France Ref Watch

• Referee: Michael Oliver

• Stats are on per 90 basis and are taken from 2024/2025 games (42 total)

Football Predictions at Andy's Bet Club

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* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.