Kylian Mbappe may be France’s main drawcard, but their squad also boasts many fast players capable of matching any opponent at their pace – Ralf Rangnick’s Austria has had difficulty dealing with this phenomenon.
William Saliba of Arsenal has been named alongside Dayot Upamecano to form part of France’s defence, while Antoine Griezmann and N’Golo Kante will lead their midfield.
Here we will discuss the main points of Austria National Football Team vs France National Football Team Lineups.
In the UEFA Euro 2024 Group D match between Austria and France on June 17, 2024, at Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, the starting lineups were as follows:
Austria (4-2-3-1):
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Patrick Pentz |
| Right Back | Stefan Posch |
| Center Back | Kevin Danso |
| Center Back | Maximilian Wöber |
| Left Back | Philipp Mwene |
| Defensive Midfield | Nicolas Seiwald |
| Defensive Midfield | Florian Grillitsch |
| Right Wing | Konrad Laimer |
| Attacking Midfield | Marcel Sabitzer (Captain) |
| Left Wing | Christoph Baumgartner |
| Forward | Michael Gregoritsch |
France (4-3-3):
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Mike Maignan |
| Right Back | Jules Koundé |
| Center Back | Dayot Upamecano |
| Center Back | William Saliba |
| Left Back | Théo Hernandez |
| Midfield | Antoine Griezmann |
| Midfield | N’Golo Kanté |
| Midfield | Adrien Rabiot |
| Right Wing | Ousmane Dembélé |
| Center Forward | Kylian Mbappé (Captain) |
| Left Wing | Marcus Thuram |
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe has proven himself one of the world’s most captivating young players, and it’s easy to see why. His 2022-23 season was remarkable: he won Ligue 1 Player of the Year, broke Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time goal-scoring record, led his team to Champions League victory – and not only that: last weekend in France’s win against Portugal he scored two goals to become youngest ever to score in World Cup final and named Best Young Player.
Mbappe was raised in a French soccer family with strong ties, yet it was his time at Monaco that propelled him into prominence. His breakthrough was swift; within months he joined Pele and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only teenagers ever to score in a World Cup final. Since then he has continued to build upon his impressive stature by winning multiple world championships while scoring an abundance of goals both club-wise and for his national side.
Although Mbappe will undoubtedly steal the show, Didier Deschamps has an abundance of quality options at his disposal to replace injured Antoine Griezmann – such as Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang respectively; plus Ousmane Dembele should make his first start for France since October.
Italy have struggled a bit during their initial two Nations League matches, but manager Luciano Spalletti will hope to improve his side’s fortunes against France. Expect some changes to his squad including possibly calling up Destiny Udogie from left wing in place of Federico Dimarco; Giacomo Raspadori and Moise Kean will likely also start on offense for Azzuri.
France National Football Team
France will return to UEFA Nations League duties against Austria this Sunday in Group A’s third matchup. While France struggled in their initial two matches of Group A, they are the clear favorites to progress as group leaders if all goes according to plan. Unfortunately though, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe will miss his visit against Austria as manager Didier Deschamps deemed his absence for “the greater good”. Aurelien Tchouameni remains injured, while Wesley Fofana and Loic Bade remain uncertain.
Before every match, GOAL takes a look at both teams and their potential lineups. Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was recently recalled to France’s squad and expected to play as an attacker alongside Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann – these three should help score goals for Les Bleus against Austria, giving Les Bleus an excellent opportunity to improve their record against them.
Austria last met France in 2020 when they reached the knockout stage of the Euros for the first time ever and lost to eventual champion Italy after extra time, but have made steady improvements under interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick’s watch as former Bayern Munich defender will aim to do just that against France at Bozsik Arena.
Following his victory against Poland, Rangnick has made numerous adjustments to his team. Max Wober and Philipp Lienhart will switch central defender spots; Marko Arnautovic’s penalty vs Poland means he retains his starting spot up front; Wolfsburg winger Patrick Wimmer could make his first national team appearance since August, possibly replacing Markus Grillitsch in the starting eleven.
Austria National Football Team
Austria will feel confident they can cause an upset against France at Euro 2024 despite being drawn in one of the tougher groups. Under Ralf Rangnick’s leadership they are known for their attacking play while boasting an experienced squad depth. Unfortunately however, Wesley Fofana and Lucas Hernandez will both miss due to injury.
William Saliba of Arsenal will likely start alongside Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano as centre-backs, while Antoine Griezmann should act as playmaker, taking advantage of all their attacking options and may partner up with Real Madrid’s N’Golo Kante to form the midfield base.
Austria achieved their best result to date in 1954 when they made it all the way to the semi-finals before falling 1-6 to Germany. Austria also finished runners-up at 1936 Olympics (although Adolf Hitler later nullified this result).
Austria last participated in a major tournament back in 2008 at Euro 2008 on their own turf and exited in the group stage, before hoping to improve upon that showing this time around and advance past group stages and into knockout rounds for the first time since 2022.
Gerald Sindelar will likely start as Austria’s starting goalkeeper and they boast several experienced players including Borussia Dortmund’s Marcel Sabitzer (captain) and Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer. However, Austria have not enjoyed an abundance of quality in attack for some time and Marko Arnautovic should feature heavily against France.
Group D
Austria were considered a dark horse going into this tournament, and they’ve lived up to that reputation thus far. Former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has brought an aggressive style of play with him and they can create problems for opponents with their intensity – as was proven against Poland with three goals scored during their opening match alone! Austria may even move up into second place by scoring against Romania tonight – who may go down instead!
Donyell Malen made a costly error early on by turning a cross into his own net, giving Austria an early lead. Since then, the Dutch have struggled to make an impression and appear exhausted of ideas; Schoeten attempted a side-foot pass into Reijnders but it went wide instead, while Cody Gakpo had an opportunity to equalise for his side but his attempt slipped wide of its target.
First half is over and the Dutch have an uphill climb ahead. Austria pushed forward in search of victory and Romano Schmid was eventually able to pass over Verbruggen and score. Meanwhile Gregorich and Sabitzer both look dangerous for them, and one may even have scored another goal already!
At half-time, both teams made changes. For Austria, Leopold Querfeld replaced Grillitsch while Christoph Baumgartner and Konrad Laimer came on for Lienhart and Wimer respectively. Ronald Koeman substituted Theo Hernandez with Javier Hernandez while leaving out certain players from his starting XI. It promises to be an exciting match between two of Europe’s premier teams; one which could decide their group fate as France currently lead with three points from four teams, yet this match could go either way!
Kick-off time
France are among the pre-tournament favourites to win Euro 2024, taking on an Austrian side resurgent under Ralf Rangnick and looking to replicate Spain, Germany and Italy’s aggressiveness against a tough Austrian defence.
Real Madrid will be missing David Alaba, as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury, along with Arsenal defender Saliba and RB Leipzig midfielder Xaver Schlager who are out through suspension or injury. Mbappe will look to make an immediate impression after making his dream move from Monaco to Real Madrid; thus making Austrian defence more vulnerable against potential attacks from him.
Mbappe will likely start in central midfield alongside N’Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann without these two players present, tasked with breaking down Austria’s high line and creating chances for France on the break.
France will benefit from the return of Manchester City midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who will make his debut this weekend. Tchouameni may start alongside Antoine Griezmann or join Moussa Sissoko – both expected to leave for Barcelona this summer – in their attacking line.
This match will air live in the UK on ITV1, starting at 8pm BST, as well as streaming via ITVX app (available free with subscription) or Fubo’s seven-day free trial, and be shown internationally via Fox Sports Network, ViX streaming service, SiriusXM FC radio coverage and Fox Sports Live Extra in America. For more information visit ITV’s official website; Austria vs France will start playing at 8pm BST Monday June 17 at Dusseldorf Arena.
