France go up against Austria in the UEFA Nations League 2022-23 at the Stade de France in Paris on Friday, September 23, 2022. The match will start at 12:15 AM IST (Indian Standard Time).
France won the previous edition of the UEFA Nations League, beating Spain 2-1 in the 2020-21 final. Les Blues are also the defending world champions. However, the French side have had a difficult time in this edition of the UNL and have failed to win any of their four matches so far. Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and Hugo Lloris headline a huge list of absentees for France in the upcoming match.
The Austrian national team have won once in four UEFA Nations League matches in this campaign. Following their 3-0 success against Croatia, Austria’s only other positive result came against the French. David Alaba, who missed their last match due to injury, is now fit and has been in good form at the club level. Alaba will retake the armband against France.
France vs Austria UEFA Nations League 2022-23 odds
Parimatch odds: France: 1.41, Austria: 8.60, Draw: 4.80
Betwinner odds: France: 1.39, Austria: 7.70, Draw: 4.80
Betway odds: France: 1.37, Austria: 7.50, Draw: 4.75
10CRIC odds: France: 1.37, Austria: 7.09, Draw: 4.72
Note: Odds are subject to change. Please visit betting sites to check and confirm the latest odds.
France vs Austria head-to-head
France and Austria have locked horns on five occasions before the upcoming encounter. The French national team have won twice, while Austria have also registered two wins.
The last game between the two sides was held in Vienna in June 2022 when a Kylian Mbappe goal rescued a point for France in the 83rd minute.
France vs Austria UEFA Nations League 2022-23 squads
France: Hugo Lloris (captain and goalkeeper), Mike Maignan (goalkeeper), Presnel Kimpembe, Ibrahima Konate, Boubacar Kamara, William Saliba, Lucas Digne, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Benjamin Pavard, Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, Ferland Mendy, Matteo Guendouzi, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Christopher Nkunku, N’Golo Kante, Adrien Rabiot, Antoine Griezmann, Wissam Ben Yedder, Kingsley Coman, Moussa Diaby, Karim Benzema, Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe.
Austria: Heinz Lindner (goalkeeper), Patrick Pentz (goalkeeper), Marco Friedl, Stefan Posch, Patrick Wimmer, Stefan Lainer, Gernot Trauner, Philipp Lienhart, David Alaba (captain), Marcel Sabitzer, Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald, Dejan Ljubicic, Karim Onisiwo, Christopher Trimmel, Valentino Lazaro, Andreas Weimann, Sasa Kalajdzic, Christoph Baumgartner, Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch.
France vs Austria probable starting lineups
France: Mike Maignan (goalkeeper); Benjamin Pavard, Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane (captain), Ferland Mendy; Matteo Guendouzi, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga; Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe.
Austria: Heinz Lindner (goalkeeper); Stefan Lainer, Gernot Trauner, Philipp Lienhart, David Alaba (captain); Marcel Sabitzer, Xaver Schlager, Nicolas Seiwald, Christoph Baumgartner; Marko Arnautovic, Michael Gregoritsch.
France vs Austria UEFA Nations League 2022-23 combined fantasy XI
Heinz Lindner (goalkeeper); Benjamin Pavard, David Alaba, Raphael Varane, Ferland Mendy; Marcel Sabitzer, Aurelien Tchouameni, Marko Arnautovic; Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe (captain).
France top picks and players to watch vs Austria UEFA Nations League 2022-23
Kylian Mbappe: The 23-year-old French star has already smashed 10 goals for Paris Saint-Germain. Mbappe made seven goal-contributions for France in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. His pace, anchor play and finishing abilities make him one of the best strikers in the world. Mbappe also famously scored in France’s FIFA World Cup 2018 final win against Croatia.
Ousmane Dembele: The winger was highly influential for his club, FC Barcelona, last season in La Liga, making 13 assists. Dembele has began the season in equally productive manner, netting two goals along with two assists in five starts this season. Dembele’s playmaking and dribbling skills are one of the finest in the French team as he will be a player to watch out for against Austria.
Austria top picks and players to watch vs France UEFA Nations League 2022-23
David Alaba: The Austrian captain is capable of playing multiple positions in the defence and midfield. Alaba has been key to Real Madrid’s success this season, thanks to his passing range and ability to intercept key passes while defending. The 30-year-old has made 2.5 interceptions per game for Austria in this UNL campaign with an 88 per cent passing accuracy.
Marko Arnautovic: Austria’s 33-year-old striker has netted six goals in seven Serie A matches for his club this season. Arnautovic scored in Austria’s 3-0 win over Croatia on matchday 1 of the UEFA Nations League 2022-23. His tenacity off the ball and finishing abilities inside the opposition penalty box could enable the visitors to break the French backline in this match.
France vs Austria UEFA Nations League 2022-23 prediction
Despite their dip in form, France have one of the most talented squads in the competition and are the defending champions. The French have been competitive against Austria in recent years and are tipped to win in the upcoming match considering the home advantage.
The tide has turned against Austria after their surprising victory on matchday 1 of this competition and the visitors will be the underdogs in this game. They are unlikely to outscore the French side at the Stade de France.