France tonight begin their attempts to win Euro 2024 as they face an Austria side reborn under Ralf Rangnick.
While Les Bleus are naturally one of the favourites for the tournament, it is difficult to know what to make of them.
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They followed up their World Cup win in 2018 by going out of the delayed Euro 2020 early after a penalty shootout defeat to Switzerland.
France reached the World Cup final again in 2022 and played out one of the most dramatic games the iconic fixture has ever seen before losing on penalties to Argentina.
N’Golo Kante has returned and Raphael Varane has retired since and though qualification was a breeze, some indifferent performances during the March international break offer cause for concern.
Rangnick has greatly improved the fortunes of the Austrian national team and recently rejected a move to Bayern Munich, offering them a huge boost going into the tournament.
Date, kick-off time and venue
Austria vs France is scheduled for an 8pm BST kick-off time tonight on Monday June 17, 2024.
The Dusseldorf Arena will host the match.
Where to watch Austria vs France
TV channel: In the UK, Austria vs France will be broadcast live and free-to-air on ITV1. Coverage begins at 7:15pm.
Live stream: ITVX, which is free with a subscription, will provide a free live stream service for fans online via the website and app.
LIVE coverage: Follow all the action live tonight with Standard Sport’s dedicated match blog.
Austria vs France team news
Austria are without Real Madrid defender David Alaba due to a serious knee injury sustained earlier this season. RB Leipzig midfielder Xaver Schlager also misses out.
France lost Lucas Hernandez to a long-term knee injury before the tournament.
Kylian Mbappe, who has seen his move to Real Madrid finally confirmed, will captain his country for the first time at a major finals. A virus in the build-up to game is not expected to affect his participation.
N’Golo Kante is set to start in midfield after two years away from the international scene.
Austria vs France prediction
It’s a tough opening fixture for the French, who have previously needed time to properly kick into gear. But we still expect them to shade a close first clash.
France to win, 2-1.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Austria wins: 9
Draws: 3
France wins: 13
Austria vs France latest odds
Austria to win: 4/1
Draw: 12/5
France to win: 8/15
