RMC: France Must Secure Top Spot in Group to Avoid Germany, Spain, Portugal in Knockout Stage

The French team faces its toughest opponent in the group stage, the Netherlands, in the second round of the European Championship. Ahead of the match, RMC Sport analyzed the team’s qualification prospects and potential knockout stage opponents, emphasizing that France must strive to win the group to enter a relatively easier half of the bracket.

For both France and the Netherlands, who won their opening matches, the outcome of this game will significantly impact the rest of the tournament. In short, the winner will theoretically have a more favorable path in the subsequent rounds. From France’s perspective, defeating the Netherlands would likely secure them the top spot in Group D, allowing for rotation against Poland in the last group match and giving bench players a chance to experience the competition.

If France finishes first in Group D, they will face the runner-up from Group F in the Round of 16. Assuming Portugal finishes first in Group F, France could then face Turkey, Czech Republic, or Georgia for a quarterfinal spot. If France ends up as Group D runners-up, they would meet the second-placed team from Group E – currently a closely contested group, possibly leading to a clash with Belgium. The worst-case scenario for France is finishing third in the group, which would mean facing the group winner from England or Spain’s group, an outcome Didier Deschamps’ side wants to avoid.

Consequently, France’s best strategy for a smoother progression is to beat the Netherlands and secure the group’s top position. This would place them in the lower half of the knockout bracket, potentially avoiding Spain and, virtually guaranteed Group A winners, Germany, until the final. Incidentally, if Portugal claims the top spot in Group F, Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates will also head to the upper half.