Back French to eke out a win against resilient opponents
UEFA Euro Qualifiers: Thursday 7 Sept, 7:45pm
France will face the Ireland at the Parc des Princes on Thursday in a European Championship qualifier, and we are expecting a close match.
Ireland are expected to give Didier Deschamps and France a difficult time when the two teams meet in a Euro 2024 Qualifier this week.
France vs Ireland 07/09/2023 – betting preview
No Irish football fan will ever forgive Thierry Henry for the handball that may have cost their country a place in the World Cup.
Four years later, the men in green stood firm again, that is until a William Gallas goal in the 103rd minute of the match set the two-time World Cup winners to South Africa.
There have been several, narrow heart-breaking defeats since then. You have to go back to 1981 for Ireland’s last victory against their illustrious opponents.
Thursday’s meeting at Stade de France is another huge test for Stephen Kenny’s men and regardless of the gap on paper, we suspect it will follow a similar pattern.
Ireland are as stubborn as they come at this level, losing by two clear goals in just two of their previous 45 qualifiers.
They’ve left Denmark, Germany, Wales, Russia and Bosnia among others with at least a point during that time and even beat Germany 1-0 at home.
Regardless of who plays, it’s a defence-first approach that should be able to frustrate Deschamp’s men at times.
France have a perfect record in the group so far, winning their opening four matches and thumping the Netherlands 4-0.
However, they also had to grind out 1-0 wins against Greece and Ireland in the reverse fixture, and beating Gibraltar 3-0 is not a flattering result for an elite side.
It’s impossible to bet against the embarrassment of riches on show, but we think that the visitors will stand firm for large parts and may even keep them honest on the break.
France vs Ireland 07/09/2023 – Suggested bets
- Ireland +1.5 Asian handicap
- Under 2.5 goals
