Belgium – France: To strike a big blow, Deschamps shakes up everything, match information

Without Kylian Mbappé, the French team can take a big step towards qualifying for the Nations League this Monday evening facing Belgium, in Brussels.

After an unspectacular victory in Budapest against Israel (4-1), the French team will face Belgium in Brussels on Monday evening (8:45 p.m.) in its second match of this November gathering in Brussels. While controversies have been multiplying around the Blues in recent weeks, Didier Deschamps' players nevertheless have the opportunity to take a big step towards the quarter-finals of the competition in the event of success this Monday evening in the Belgian capital. A victory would indeed give Les Bleus a five-point lead over the Belgians with two days to go in the group stage. As a reminder, the top two teams in each League A group will play the quarter-finals, which will be played in the form of two-legged matches. The four winners of the quarter-finals will finally play the last four final at least by June 2025.

Mbappé, the absentee that everyone is talking about

Didier Deschamps will once again have to put together a team without his main asset and captain, Kylian Mbappé, this Monday evening against the Red Devils. A notable absentee from this gathering, while he had played with Real Madrid after the announcement of his withdrawal from Les Bleus, Mbappé was spotted in Sweden at the end of last week, which did not fail to to cause controversy. Without it disturbing the French players. "Frankly, I think we're making a bit too much of it. Everyone has the right to think what they want, but every time it's Kylian, it takes on disproportionate proportions, explained the new captain of the Blues, Aur&eacutelien Tchouaméni, at a press conference. We spoke with him before the match, after the match, and where he followed it doesn't necessarily matter, in truth. His love for the French team is no longer to be dismantled. We can't wait for him to come back, quite simply.”

Belgium-France line-ups: a Dembélé-Thuram-Barcola trio in front ?

For this match between Belgium and France, Didier Deschamps is expected to make several changes compared to the victory against Israel on Thursday (4-1). Marcus Thuram, who has an ankle injury, could start tonight in the centre of the attack with Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé on the wings. For his 4-2-3-1, Deschamps tested Mattéo Guendouzi higher than Aurélien Tchouaméni and Manu Koné in midfield. “There will be some changes tomorrow, but I don't think I'll make eight” explained the coach of the Blues.

France's probable starting eleven: Maignan – Koundé, Konaté, Saliba, Digne – Ma. Koné, Tchouaméni (c) – O. Dembélé, Guendouzi, Barcola – M. Thuram.

With the obligation, or almost, to win this Monday evening against the Blues, Belgium will have to do without its veterans Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, not to mention Thibaut Courtois. Under pressure, coach Domenico Tedesco should trust Former RC Lens striker Loïs Openda up front, supported by Doku, Trossard and De Ketelaere in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Belgium's probable starting XI: Casteels – Debast, Theate, Faes, De Cuyper – Mangala, Tielemans – De Ketelaere, Trossard, Doku – Openda.

Time, channel, how to watch Belgium – France in direct

This match between Belgium and France will of course be broadcast in clear on French television since it will be visible on TF1, a channel for which you do not need to subscribe. To follow this match on the Internet between the Red Devils and the Blues, from 8:45 p.m. this Monday, October 14, you must go to the TF1 website. For this match, France is given as the favorite by the various sports betting sites for this match of the 4th day of the League of Nations. The odds for a victory of the French oscillate between 2.1 and 2.4 while that of a victory of the Belgians at home is between 2.5 and 3. The odds for a draw are around 3.3.