2018 World Cup winners France will embark upon their quest to claim the European crown shortly. In doing so, Les Bleus could accomplish the rare feat of holding both the international cups at the same time – something they have done previously. In preparation for the tournament, they will face Wales.
France were inches away from winning the Euro in 2016. The home nation were the favorites for the tournament and reached the final without much difficulty. They faced a strong Portugal side in the trophy clash, who played much of the match without their star forward Cristiano Ronaldo. In the dying embers of normal time, French substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac hit the Portuguese post and the ball rolled away towards safety, leaving an entire nation with their hands on their heads. Portugal scored in extra-time to win the tournament.
While France cried with despair, Wales felt proud of what their team had achieved. Gareth Bale and Co were something akin to minnows heading into that tournament, but came out of it as semi-finalists. Their hearts, too, were broken by Portugal, who beat them 2-0 in the last four. Nevertheless, the team had done the nation proud, and their future suddenly looked brighter than before.
Both France and Wales have qualified for the Euro finals yet again. Neither side faced many difficulties during the qualification process and have duly taken their place among the 24 participating nations. Wales have been drawn into Group A alongside four-time world champions Italy, Switzerland, and Turkey. France, on the other hand, are faced with a nightmare draw with Germany, Portugal, and Hungary in their group. Luckily for both teams, up to three teams can qualify for the knockout stage from most groups, albeit the third-placed team will have to fulfil certain conditions.
Before the tournament begins, France and Wales will partake in friendly matches. Those matches will work towards the nations’ preparations for the final tournament, which is due to begin on June 11. The two teams will face each other in their first friendly respectively before France take on Bulgaria and Wales play Albania.
Key Players
Karim Benzema: Putting their differences aside, Didier Deschamps decided to call upon Karim Benzema for the 2020 UEFA Euro. The Frenchman had been absent from the national team set-up from the last two major tournaments, as such, his return to the national team was a huge surprise. Nevertheless, Deschamps will be hoping to count on the Real Madrid man once the competition begins. He is one of the best strikers in the world presently and is expected to form a dangerous partnership for Les Bleus along with Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.
Antoine Griezmann: It is easy to dismiss Antoine Griezmann as a serious threat based on the two joyless years he has had at Barcelona. However, one must not forget that the Frenchman won the Golden Ball in the 2016 Euro and was the top scorer of the tournament with six goals. Griezmann is a crucial part of Deschamps France, so much so that a starting spot in the upcoming tournament is all but guaranteed.
Gareth Bale: While he is not the same player he was five years ago, Gareth Bale gave fans a timely reminder of his abilities during the final weeks of the Premier League season. Bale – who rejoined Tottenham on a loan deal – finished the campaign in double figures despite playing limited minutes. His recent upturn in form is excellent news for Wales, who would look towards their captain to inspire them once again. A Bale-led Wales reached the semi-finals of the previous edition of the competition, where they were eliminated by eventual winners Portugal.
Harry Wilson: One of the up-and-coming Welsh talents, Harry Wilson will hope that a strong showing at the 2020 Euro impresses his parent club Liverpool enough into including him in the senior squad. A winger by trade, Wilson has spent three of the last four seasons in the English second division, where he has impressed with excellent skills on and off the ball. The 24-year-old is a major threat from set-pieces – something Wales will look to count on during their finals run.
Prediction
France are likely to be missing some key players for the friendly on June 2. It remains to be seen when the Chelsea trio of N’Golo Kante, Olivier Giroud, and Kurt Zouma link up with the national team. However, Didier Deschamps should still have enough first-team players to call upon for their preparation match against Wales. France have enough strength in depth to give Wales a difficult time. They will be the favorites to win the match despite missing some key players.
One must count Wales out at their own peril, however. As they showed in the last Euros, they have enough quality and heart to beat the biggest nations. A win over France will be a statement of intent that they mean business this time around, as well.
