France – Netherlands

France and the Netherlands are likely to produce an entertaining match

France and the Netherlands will begin their journey into qualification. The match between the giants will take place on 24 March. The teams are in a relatively difficult group, facing Ireland and Greece. Gibraltar are the only easy opponents in the group. France remain one of the strongest teams in the world. Didier Deschamps' side have won or reached the decisive stages of almost every major tournament. There will be no global generational change after the World Cup. The main change will concern the goalkeeping line. Captain Hugo Llaurice has completed his international career. Mike Menyon is now the main goalkeeper. The armband has gone to Kylian Mbappe. Rafael Varane will also be absent. The defender has decided to leave at the peak. Didier Deschamps is so confident in his veterans that he has called up Olivier Giroud again. France's main trump card at the moment is Antoine Griezmann. The footballer is in superb form at the age of 32. Karim Benzema is no longer a viable option in attack. Ousmane Dembele is out due to injury. Either way, France have a very deep squad, as they proved at the World Cup. Injuries plagued the national team then, but they managed to withstand the pressure of circumstances. The Netherlands also had a positive World Cup performance. "The Netherlands also had a positive showing at the World Cup, where the Orange were one point clear of the semi-finals. However, they had to say goodbye to Louis van Gaal. The specialist has left the national team for health reasons. Ronald Koeman returned to the national team. The local federation opted for stability. Koeman had previously coached the Orange successfully. It is highly probable that the national team's football will become more entertaining. At the World Cup, the Netherlands were a closed team except for the last match. There has been no line-up revolution. What draws attention is the absence of goalkeeper Noppert. He was number one at the World Cup. Otherwise the Netherlands have a good mix of young talent and experienced players. There are some prodigies from local clubs. A high-scoring match in France is very likely. The national teams have no motivation to close down. Even a defeat would not be fatal in terms of qualification prospects. It is safe to take risks. The Netherlands will need to adapt to a more attacking model. Koeman will probably want to make his debut from a memorable match and will not hold zeros. France's defence was questionable at the World Cup as well. The national team has conceded from weak opponents. Now there is no Varan and a new goalkeeper, who has only recently returned from a serious injury. France have a factor for goals - a motivated Mbappe after several failures at the club.