Austria vs. France Prediction: Les Bleus Target Opening Win

• France are the second-favorites to win the European Championship this year

• Austria have been tipped as potential dark horses at the tournament

• This could be one of the best matches on matchday one in Germany

Austria vs. France Odds

The odds for Austria vs France are taken from the FanDuel Sportsbook. Place a $5 bet at FanDuel and get $200 in bonus bets if your wager wins. Find more details in our Euro 2024 Betting Guide.

Austria vs. France Pick

Go for under 2.5 goals when Austria take on France. This should be an absorbing game, but it might not be high-scoring.

Bet on Under 2.5 Goals (+126) at FanDuel

France Looking to Make Amends for Disappointing Euro 2020

The best online sportsbooks have England as the narrow favorites to win Euro 2024, but France are not far from behind. Many would argue that the two teams’ positions should be reversed. France’s track record at recent tournaments is superior to that of England: in three of the last four World Cups or European Championships, les Bleus have reached the final.

The exception was Euro 2020 (held in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic). France came through a tough group containing Germany, Portugal, and Hungary, yet they fell at the very next hurdle, losing on penalties to Switzerland in the round of 16. In that two-hour-long match, Didier Deschamps’ team only played well for 20 minutes. They could have a few complaints about the outcome.

Five years earlier, France reached the final but fluffed their lines big time. The hosts were widely expected to beat a mediocre Portugal outfit, especially after Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off through injury in the first half. Yet they failed to make the breakthrough and were left crestfallen when Eder scored the only goal in extra time.

As a manager, Deschamps must feel he has unfinished business in this competition. He lifted the European Championship trophy as captain in 2000, an event dominated by Zinedine Zidane. Back in 1984, Michel Platini led France to glory on home soil. Could Kylian Mbappe follow in the footsteps of those two legends this summer?

There is certainly considerable expectation on his shoulders. Mbappe was magnificent in the World Cup final 18 months ago, dragging France back into the game with a stunning hat-trick. Yet it was his missed penalty that gave Switzerland victory at the last Euros. Mbappe, you feel, will be desperate to make amends in Germany.

France have one of the strongest squads at Euro 2024. Together with their tournament know-how, that makes them a force to be reckoned with.

Bet on Austria vs France at FanDuel

Austria Could Be One to Watch at This European Championship

Neither France nor the Netherlands, the favorites to finish in the top two of Group D, should underestimate Austria. Ralf Rangnick has given this team a new identity and they could surprise one or two people over the next few weeks.

Of course, the absence through injury of David Alaba, Xaver Schlager, and Alexander Schlager have dampened the mood somewhat. For years Alaba has been the man who makes Austria tick, so his unavailability is a particularly hefty blow. Rangnick himself has described it as a “very bitter loss”.

Yet under the German manager, the collective has become the strength. Austria are easily recognizable as a Rangnick team: they press ferociously and attack with verticality, with energy and dynamism throughout the side. They have become much more proactive and exciting to watch than they were during Franco Foda’s tenure.

That bodes well for Monday’s encounter. Austria will not simply sit back and hope for the best, even though they are the underdogs. Rangnick must find the right balance between offense and defense, but defending in a low block and standing off their opponents is not something we will see from Austria in any of their matches at Euro 2024. 

Das Team were impressive in qualifying, finishing narrowly behind group winners Belgium and nine points clear of Sweden in third place. This is a clear step up, though, and those who followed Euro 2016 may remember Austria being a huge disappointment following an eye-catching qualification campaign.

Kicking off with a game against France is daunting, yet Austria may actually relish the fact that the pressure will entirely be on their opponents at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on Monday.

Do Not Expect a High-Scoring Encounter on Monday

Throughout Deschamps’ 12 years in charge of his country, France have regularly left the public - both at home and abroad - wanting more. Perhaps the most talented team in world soccer over the last decade has favored a safety-first, conservative style of play.

Yet it is hard to argue with what France have achieved in that time. They won the 2018 World Cup and were within a penalty shoot-out of retaining their crown in Qatar. France often seem to play within themselves, but it has proved to be a winning formula.

That is why, despite Austria’s desire to commit bodies forward when possible, this is unlikely to develop into an end-to-end, back-and-forth contest. Deschamps will look to neutralize Rangnick’s team, which could necessitate giving them the ball and avoiding risky passes out from the back.

As a result, we should not necessarily expect this to be a game full of goals. France will look to keep Austria at arm’s length, while the latter will be wary of affording the likes of Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Antoine Griezmann too much space in the final third. 

Under 2.5 goals looks like a solid selection when Austria and France begin their Euro 2024 campaigns on Monday.

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How to Watch Austria vs. France

• Teams: Austria vs. France

• Location: Merkur Spiel-Arena, Dusseldorf, Germany

• Date and Time: Monday, 17 June 2024 at 3.00 PM ET 

• How to Watch: Fox Sports, fuboTV