France vs Germany Prediction: Les Bleus to exact revenge for Dortmund defeat

There's a heavyweight international friendly taking place at Olympique Lyonnais' Groupama Academy Stadium in Decines-Charpieu on Saturday night (KO, 20:00), as France and Germany gear up for Euro 2024.

Below is our France vs Germany prediction, as well as all the latest team news and match odds ahead of this fixture between two sides in vastly different form.

France arrive into this friendly after a near-perfect qualification campaign that saw them take 22 points from eight games; the only points they dropped were in their last match away in Greece (2-2).

As hosts of the upcoming European Championship, Germany were exempt from qualifiers, meaning that they have not played a competitive game since December 2022, when they exited the World Cup in humiliating fashion.

After winning just one of their next six, Hansi Flick was dismissed as head coach, leaving Rudi Voller to take charge of a friendly against France in September, which Die Mannschaft won 2-1 in Dortmund.

Julian Nagelsmann was then appointed on a short-term deal until the conclusion of Euro 2024, but after beating the USA 3-1 on debut, the ex-Bayern Munich boss has overseen a draw with Mexico (2-2) and defeats to both Turkey (2-3) and Austria (0-2).

Team News

Antoine Griezmann's world record run of 84 consecutive matches for his country will come to an end this week after he was forced to pull out of Didier Deschamps' squad through injury. The Atletico Madrid star has been replaced by Matteo Guendouzi (Lazio, on loan from Olympique Marseille).

France have another friendly against Chile next week but it's likely that a strong side will start on Saturday. That should mean Mike Maignan (AC Milan) in goal and the likes of Dayot Upamecano (Bayern) and Benjamin Pavard (Inter Milan) in defence, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga (both Real Madrid) in midfield.

Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele (both Paris Saint-Germain) are likely to start out wide, with either Olivier Giroud (AC Milan) or Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan) deployed as a central striker.

Germany's preparations for this friendly suffered a blow with the withdrawal of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (Bayern) through injury, but there is a more than capable replacement in the shape of Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), who will have the likes of Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid) and Jonathan Tah (Bayer Leverkusen) in front of him.

There are a trio of uncapped defenders also in the squad in Jan Nilas-Beste (FC Heidenheim), Waldemar Anton and Maximilian Mittelstadt (both VFB Stuttgart).

Providing the experience in midfield will be La Liga generals Toni Kroos (Real Madrid) and Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona), while a couple of Bundesliga stars - Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) and Jamal Musiala (Bayern) - are expected to be handed the creative keys in forward areas.

Niclas Fullkrug (Dortmund), Kai Havertz (Arsenal) and Thomas Muller (Bayern) are options for Nagelsmann at the point of attack.

Match Odds

France are 4/5 to win on Saturday, implying they have a 55.6% chance of success, with the visitors priced at 11/4 - or 26.7% - to claim a morale-boosting victory. The draw is available at 13/5, both teams to score is 4/6 and over 2.5 goals is 8/11.

France to win and both teams to score @ 12/5

Germany did manage to get the better of Les Bleus just over six months ago, but there are a couple of key differences this time around.

Number one, the Germans no longer have home advantage. Secondly - and probably most crucial - they will have to face Mbappe, which they didn't have to do at Signal Iduna Park. That should tip the balance even further in favour of France, who will want to get back on the winning trail after a stalemate in Athens last time out.

Keeping a clean sheet could prove difficult though. The only opposition France have shut out in the last five games is international minnows Gibraltar, who they pummelled 14-0.

Germany failed to fire in Vienna in their last match, but they had to play the Austrians with 10 men for 40-plus minutes. Before that, they had scored in five straight games.

Jamal Musiala to score anytime @ 18/5

One player guaranteed a starting berth in this Germany side is Musiala, who has scored 12 goals for Bayern this season - 10 in the Bundesliga and two in the Champions League.

The 21-year-old arrives into this fixture in terrific scoring form having found the net in four of his last six games, scoring five in that run.

He's by no means prolific at international level yet - he has two goals in 25 caps - but one of those goals did come during his last international call-up, when he struck the third in a 3-1 win over the USA.

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