Belgium vs France

King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels forms the backdrop for a mouth-watering UEFA Nations League encounter between Belgium and France.

Belgium’s hopes of making it out of the Nations League group stages for only the second time were seemingly dead in the water when they slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Italy last time out. However, Lorenzo Pellegrini’s first-half expulsion helped Domenico Tedesco’s side claw back to a 2-2 draw and stay within striking distance of Group A2 leaders ahead of matchday four. That’s hardly a cause for celebration, with ‘De Rode Duivels’ entering this clash on a four-game run without a clean sheet (W1, D1, L2), seeking only their first win against a fellow FIFA top-ten-ranked nation for the first time in over three years (D2, L7). Breaking the deadlock might help the Belgians navigate this blockbuster contest, considering only two of the last 11 H2Hs have seen both teams score.

Unfortunately for the home crowd, the last three have yielded France’s victories, including a 2-0 triumph in September’s reverse fixture. Replicating that success would see ‘Les Bleus’ make history and beat Belgium in five consecutive meetings for the first time. Unlike their hosts, Didier Deschamps’ men are seemingly back on track following a disheartening 3-1 home defeat to Italy on matchday one. They’ve since won back-to-back Nations League matches by multi-goal margins, including a 4-1 demolition of Israel last week. Despite Kylian Mbappe’s omission, the French are firing on all cylinders as they commence this Nations League round only one point below Italy. But there’s ample room for improvement on the road, where they’ve blown hot and cold across their last four internationals (W2, D1, L1).