The top two teams in Group D entering Matchday 2 will square off Friday with Netherlands taking on France in a blockbuster clash. Netherlands got a 2-1 win over Poland in the opener, while France had to work hard in a 1-0 victory over Austria. The winner of this match will likely clinch a spot in the knockout round, while the loser will need to do some more work on Matchday 3 in order to qualify for the next stage.
Here’s what you need to know for the match, with odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Netherlands v. France
Date: Friday, June 21
Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV channel: Fox
Livestream: fuboTV, Foxsports.com
Moneyline odds
Netherlands: +260
Draw: +235
France: +110
Moneyline pick: Draw +235
Despite Poland missing Robert Lewandowski, the underdogs got the early lead on Netherlands. Ultimately, the Dutch were able to get a late winner courtesy of Wout Weghorst to avoid a rough start in a competition where they have not had good results lately. France didn’t take advantage of several somewhat easy chances against Austria, only getting the win thanks to an own goal off an unfortunate deflection. Both sides will try to show more in this contest.
The big question on the injury front is Kylian Mbappe, who suffered a broken nose late in the win over Austria. He emerged at training with a facemask and is trending towards playing, but might not get the start. France is unlikely to chances with its star striker. There are no other injury concerns for either side.
There’s some value on France, especially if Mbappe is good to go. However, I do think both sides will remain a bit cautious in this encounter early. Things should open up more as the game goes on and both teams are more than capable of putting the ball in the back of the net. I like a draw in a matchup of two teams hoping to improve after subpar showings in their opening matches.