The last two sides to get their Euro 2020 campaign underway do so on Tuesday evening when the last two World Cup winners meet in Munich when France take on Germany in a repeat of the semi-final from the last European Championship.
These two teams have been placed in the Group of Death in Group F with defending champions Portugal lurking later in the competition so both will be eager to get some points on the board and stop the pressure mounting on them too early.
Where to watch
The action continues on ITV1 on Tuesday evening with the build-up to this iconic match beginning at around 7pm and the game kicking off at 8pm.
France
You would have to go quite far to find someone who doesn’t think France are the team to beat in this competition but being the one they have to beat and winning the tournament are two entirely different things, as they found out on home soil five years ago when they found one too good for them in the end. Since then though they have gone and won the World Cup and a lot of that side remain in place for this which is why they are expected to go so well.
You often look for weaknesses in terms at this level in tournament play but there isn’t really one for France, save perhaps for the goalkeeper and even that isn’t much of one. Where they are strong though they are incredibly strong and that is in the centre of the park where they contain as much power as anyone, and in attack where the options available to Didier Deschamps is frightening. A win here would send shockwaves through this event.
Germany
Although they are the away side on the fixture list for this match, Germany are playing in home surroundings here and will have to take full advantage of that in a group which is as tough as there has ever been in a European Championship. There is the general consensus that this isn’t the strongest Germany side put together but we’ve heard all that before and before you know it they have gone deep in the competition.
I guess one of the reasons why we are hearing that line again is because they had a terrible World Cup in Russia. It was hard to believe what we were watching there with their defence picked off at will and I guess their defeat to North Macedonia in their latest World Cup qualifier shows there is a fallibility about this German outfit. The form of Timo Werner is a massive concern because you suspect Germany are going to have to outscore teams in this tournament with them not that strong defensively.
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Team News
Karim Benzema and Antoine Griezmann appeared to pick up injuries in the final warm up game for this event but they have both been passed fit and could both start. The only selection issue Didier Deschamps has in midfield where he looks likely to go with Adrien Rabiot.
Germany will be without midfielder Leon Goretzka for this opening match as he has a leg injury which he still hasn’t overcome. That is likely to mean Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos will partner each other in the centre of the park again.
Betting
Apart from home advantage, when I look at these two sides I can’t see anything that is going for Germany in this match. France look the superior team all over the park to me. We can’t ignore that they are effectively the away side in this game but it isn’t like the Allianz Arena is going to be operating to a full capacity and we’ve already seen the likes of Scotland, Russia and for obvious reasons Denmark fail to win in front of home fans so it isn’t the clearest advantage in the world.
That means the match is likely to be settled on the grass of the pitch and I fully expect France to take something from the game, most likely a win. Their attack is frightening and this German defence could be there for the taking. Going the other way I’m sure France can keep tabs on Timo Werner and with the French likely to win the midfield battle which the pace and power Pogba and Kante bring to the ranks I just expect a French win but given the size of the game I’ll bet without the draw.
Tips
Back France to beat Germany (DNB) for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Betfred
