The epic France vs. Netherlands clash on the morning of June 22 is not only to determine the top spot in Group D but is also considered an early final of the Euro 2024 tournament.

After the first round of matches concluded, the Netherlands temporarily leads Group D with 3 points, level with France but ahead on goal difference, while Austria and Poland share the bottom spots. In the second round of matches, the early final of Group D unfolds as the Netherlands faces off against France. The match promises to be intriguing as both teams aim to secure an early berth in the Round of 16 as group leaders.

In their opening matches, both France and the Netherlands struggled to earn their 3 points against supposedly weaker opponents. The Netherlands had to come from behind against Poland and only sealed victory in the 83rd minute, while France relied on an own goal by Wober to secure their win. However, while the Netherlands’ victory was seen as unconvincing, France’s performance has been criticized for not showing their full potential in preparing for the knockout stages.

This assessment is grounded in the fact that in their opener, despite fielding top attackers like Kylian Mbappe, Griezmann, Dembele, and Thuram, coach Didier Deschamps still had question marks over his use of Kante, Upamecano, and Rabiot, leaving in-form stars like Camavinga, Tchouameni, and Konate on the bench. Clearly, the abundance of quality players gives Deschamps the flexibility to rotate the squad and devise multiple tactical approaches to avoid predictability.

However, tonight’s match might be the weakest moment for the French team as they are without Kylian Mbappe due to injury sustained in the game against Austria. This raises doubts about France’s chances in their upcoming clash against the Netherlands.

or the Netherlands, the injuries to key midfielders like De Jong, Wijnaldum, and Koopmeiners were somewhat addressed by Coach Koeman through a fairly strong midfield performance in the opening match. The current issue for the Dutch coach is the early exclusion of Depay from the starting lineup, as the former Manchester United player was the weak link in the team’s recent match. Replacing Depay with Weghorst, a player with both form and physicality more suited to the center forward position, would increase the Netherlands’ chances of causing an upset.

The narrow victory over Austria has left Coach Deschamps with a headache, as France’s task of winning Euro 2024 has become more challenging without Kylian Mbappe due to injury. Mbappe can only return earliest in the Round of 16, and there is uncertainty whether he will regain top form immediately upon his return or if the Real Madrid newcomer can perform at his best upon comeback. Therefore, Coach Deschamps needs to quickly find a replacement plan for Mbappe in case the worst-case scenario unfolds.

France’s current squad is not lacking quality left wingers like Coman and Barcola. In the opening match, Coach Deschamps experimented with Thuram on the left flank without success. Thus, it’s likely Coach Deschamps will place trust in Coman or Barcola. Coman, with his proven experience and class from Bayern Munich, has been tested, but he has not yet reached his best form after injury. On the other hand, Barcola, talented and in good form, still lacks experience at this level.

Certainly, these players are not a match for Mbappe, but in unavoidable circumstances, Deschamps must find a solution to this difficult situation soon. France is eager to win the Euro title, a trophy they have regretfully missed out on in the last two Euros.