The second round of the UEFA EURO 2024 Qualifiers continues Monday, March 27, with eight matches on the schedule, so we bring you the best Ireland vs. France betting pick along with the latest odds update.
Ireland – France Betting Tip, Prediction & Odds (27.3.2023)
Ireland missed the previous European Championship, and the Boys in Green hope to make it to the EURO 2024 despite tough competition in Group B. Their opening matchup is the hardest possible, as the Blues are probably the best team in Europe, so let’s take a closer look.
Ireland vs. France: Initial Situation
The top two teams from each qualifying group will reach the tournament, and Ireland will have a tall task to surpass France or the Netherlands. Greece will also try to pull off an upset, while Gibraltar will certainly finish bottom of the standings.
Ireland Stats & Form
The Boys in Green didn’t appear in the 2022 World Cup. They enjoyed a decent UEFA Nations League campaign, finishing third in Group B1 with seven points (W2, D1, L3) and an 8:7 goal difference. The Boys in Green recorded four wins, four losses, and a couple of draws in ten outings in 2022.
The 18-year-old forward Evan Ferguson (two caps) could get the starting call Monday against the mighty France team. He’s scored three goals in ten Premier League appearances for Fulham this season. Andrew Omobamidele (five caps) is another talented player who’ll get a chance to prove his worth, and the 20-year-old centre-back has appeared in 27 games for Norwich in the English Championship in 2022-23.
France Stats & Form
The Blues started the EURO 2024 Qualifiers with a tricky home clash against the Netherlands on Friday night which has been excluded from the analysis. They looked to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss to Argentina on penalties in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Blues also played in the UEFA Nations League in 2022, finishing third in Group A1 with five points (W1, D2, L3) and a 5:7 goal difference.
The long-time captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (145 caps) decided to retire from international football, so Kylian Mbappe (66 caps, 36 goals) is the Blues’ new captain. Both Antoine Griezmann (117 caps, 42 goals) and Olivier Giroud (120 caps, 53 goals) will continue to play for France which means the Blues’ frontline won’t change at all.
Ireland – France: Head-to-Head
The Boys in Green have recorded one win and four losses in their previous five encounters with the Blues. They meet for the first time since 2018 when France beat Ireland 2-0 in a friendly. Olivier Giroud scored once for the Blues, and Kylian Mbappe had an assist. The Blues and Boys in Green also met each other in the EURO 2016 Round of 16 when Antoine Griezmann scored a brace to help France overcome a halftime deficit in a 2-1 victory.
Ireland – France Odds
The Blues are firm 1.66 favorites at Unibet Sportsbook. Their squad is full of world-class players, whereas the Boys in Green are mostly playing a modest role on their teams across the English top two tears. Still, Frace will have to work hard to break Ireland’s defense, and the bookmakers are not looking for a high-scoring affair. Over 2.5 Goals pays 2.12 at Unibet.
France will have just a couple of days to recover from a home game against the Netherlands. On the other side, Ireland will have one day more following Wednesday’s friendly versus Latvia. Hereof, the Blues might decide to make a few changes in their starting eleven, but I’m still expecting to see Mbappe and Griezmann on the pitch. This duo will make a difference, so take France to win or go with Asian Handicap -1.0 to get 2.20 odds with Unibet.
Betting tip and prediction: Ireland – France (27.3.2023)