France is in a formidable form, having claimed victories in all their Euro 2024 qualifiers without letting in a goal. Star striker Kylian Mbappe is on fire, netting seven times in his past five games for the national team.
On the other hand, Republic of Ireland has shown resilience, not letting in more than two goals in any game since March 2021.
Mbappe’s Hot Streak Continues Despite missing a crucial shot in the World Cup final last December, Kylian Mbappe has been relentless. Although that miss might have been a slight blemish on his World Cup journey, his eight goals in the tournament, including a final’s hat-trick, showcase his immense contribution. The 24-year-old has been in scintillating form, both internationally and for his club, PSG. He’s already marked his tally with five goals in three matches for PSG this season. Come Thursday, at Parc des Princes, he might just increase his international goal count.
Ireland’s Uphill Battle in Group B When France and Republic of Ireland locked horns in Dublin earlier this year, Ireland could only muster two shots on target. Their journey in the qualifiers has been a tad shaky with defeats against both France and Greece. Though they managed to secure their first points against Gibraltar, it seems like a herculean task for them to make it to the top two spots and qualify for next summer’s big event.
Predicting A Smooth Sail For France It’s no surprise that France is the bookies’ favorite. Their recent defensive records and winning spree make them the team to beat. Betting on them winning without conceding seems like an attractive bet. A 2-0 victory for the hosts seems like a plausible outcome.
While France boasts an impressive average of 2.25 goals per qualifier match, the Irish team has shown they can be tough to break down. Their last encounter with France on an away game in 2018 also ended with a 2-0 scoreline in favor of the French.
