Mbappe returns as France looks to join Germany and Portugal in last 16.
France aims to secure their spot in the last 16 of Euro 2024 as they face an already-eliminated Poland at Signal Iduna Park, with the return of Kylian Mbappé potentially shifting the dynamic against a team looking to exit the tournament on a high note.
France
France will face Poland on Tuesday with hopes of joining teams like Germany and Portugal in the last 16. An Mbappe-less France recently had a goalless draw against the Netherlands, leaving some fans disappointed. This result placed Les Bleus in second place in Group D with four points from one win and one draw.
As Poland is already out of the competition, France will look to secure a win on Tuesday to overtake the first-placed Oranje. This match marks the first meeting between France and Poland at the Euros, and their third encounter in a major tournament overall. Despite not winning their final group match in the last eight major tournaments, France has remained unbeaten against Poland in their past eight meetings, recording four wins and four draws.
A victory for France will not only secure their advancement to the next round but could also see them finish as group winners, depending on the Netherlands' result against Austria. In Mbappe’s absence, Didier Deschamps adjusted his lineup to a 4-4-1-1 formation. With the superstar expected to return against Poland, Deschamps might switch back to the familiar 4-2-3-1, featuring Marcus Thuram in attack.
"He is getting used to the mask. He and we obviously would prefer he could play without it, but we don’t have a choice," Tchouaméni commented on Mbappé, who impressed by scoring two goals in a closed-door training session on Saturday.
Poland
After back-to-back European Championship defeats, Poland [DWWLL] crashed out of the tournament. A 3-1 loss to Austria, despite a spirited fight, saw Poland become the first nation to exit Euro 2024.
Poland's all-time leading goal scorer, Robert Lewandowski, had come off the bench in an attempt to get his side ahead after Krzysztof Piątek [30’] got the leveler. However, Poland conceded six minutes after his introduction, and moments later, they conceded a third goal after giving away a penalty.
With the head-to-head record being one of the many tiebreakers applied, Poland, who could go level on points with third-placed Austria [3 points], will exit the tournament having lost to Austria. Nevertheless, they would be looking to bow out with a victory.
However, Poland have lost their final group stage game in three of their four previous European Championships. A 3—5—2 formation is expected for Tuesday’s fixture, with Krzysztof Piątek and Lewandowski in attack.
Team form
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Team Comparison
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