Will Van Bommel Have a Successful Home Debut?

A blockbuster matchup is set to take place in Group 1 of the Nations League’s top tier, with Belgium facing France, and Wettbasis is sending a prediction to Brussels. The hosts kicked off the fifth edition of the competition with a 2-0 win in Italy, while the French national soccer team, for its part, started with a 1-0 victory in Turkey.

Both sides still have newly appointed head coaches on the sidelines—Mark van Bommel for the hosts and Zinedine Zidane for the French. Following their debuts just a few days ago, both coaches are playing their second match in this role, and expectations for “Zizou” are, of course, sky-high.

The multiple World Coach of the Year winner claimed the World Cup title as a player in 1998 and went on to win the European Championship two years later. Fans in France are now calling on him, as Deschamps’ successor, to add more trophies to the national trophy case.

We also expect a particularly fiercely contested match at King Baudouin Stadium, as there’s always a great deal of prestige at stake in this rivalry. From a tactical standpoint, we view the visitors as only marginal favorites due to Kylian Mbappé’s absence, which is why we’re predicting that the hosts won’t lose when Belgium and France face off.

With Mbappé out, even more depends on the Bayern striker now, and he’s in top form: In five of his seven competitive matches for the German record champions this season, he’s scored at least once!

Belgium – France Head-to-Head Record

The “Diables Rouges” and France last faced off in October 2024 in Belgium. That match was also part of the Nations League and ended with a 2-1 away win for the French team.

Thanks to that victory, the “Bleus” are increasingly becoming a formidable opponent for the Belgians. In their last five meetings, the team that finished fourth in the previous World Cup—held last summer in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico—has come out on top every time! On top of that, Belgium hasn’t won a home game against its neighbor since 1981, when it secured a 2-0 victory during the World Cup qualifiers at that time (0-1-4).

Belgium – France Prediction

At the last World Cup, both Belgium and France crossed paths with eventual champion Spain. While the French failed to score against the Spaniards in the semifinals, Belgium at least managed to score a goal against the “Furia Roja” in the round before.

Ultimately, it was the only goal Spain conceded during the entire tournament and, at the same time, proof that the Belgian national team can keep up with soccer’s major powers—at least from an offensive standpoint. We therefore believe the underdog is capable of scoring against the “Equipe Tricolore” as well, and we see even more factors currently working in the home team’s favor.

In their first home game under coach Mark van Bommel, the Belgian team will take the field highly motivated, while the visitors will have to make do without their captain, Kylian Mbappé, on short notice. The Real Madrid forward scored the winning goal against Turkey last Friday but will have to sit out due to a subsequent injury.

Furthermore, France was only convincing at times in their most recent match in Izmit. It’s clear that Zidane still has a lot of work ahead of him to instill his vision of attractive, attacking soccer into the team on a lasting basis. In light of this situation, we’re selecting the betting odds for a home win or a draw in the Belgium vs. France match.