France vs Netherlands: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview
Les Bleus are aiming for a happy homecoming in their first match in Paris since winning the World Cup during the summer
World Cup winners France return home for the first time since lifting the trophy in Moscow as they host Netherlands.
Les Bleus kicked-off their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 0-0 draw against Germany, with Didier Deschamps having made few changes to his squad since the summer.
Netherlands, meanwhile, are looking for a resurgence under Ronald Koeman having failed to qualify for either of the last two major tournaments.
Victory over Peru on Thursday got their season under way in style and they will be out to spring a shock in Paris.
| Game | France vs Netherlands |
| Date | Sunday, September 9 |
| Time | 7:45pm BST / 2:45pm ET |
In the United States (US) the game will available to watch on ESPN2 and stream live online using ESPN+.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| ESPN2 | ESPN+ |
The game can be watched live on television in the United Kingdom (UK) via Sky Sports Football or Sky Sports Mix and it can be streamed live online using Sky Go.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Mix | Sky Go |
| Position | France squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Costil, Lecomte, Areola |
| Defenders | Pavard, Kimpembe, Varane, Umtiti, Rami, Sidibe, Hernandez, Mendy |
| Midfielders | Pogba, Tolisso, Kante, Matuidi, Nzonzi |
| Forwards | Griezmann, Lemar, Giroud, Mbappe, Dembele, Fekir, Thauvin |
France have made no changes to the team which drew with Germany, with full-backs Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez retaining their places despite suggestions they may have dropped out.
France starting XI: Areola; Pavard, Varane, Umtiti, Hernandez; Pogba, Kante; Mbappe, Griezmann, Matuid; Giroud
| Position | Netherlands squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Cillessen, Zoet, Padt |
| Defenders | Blind, De Vrij, Janmaat, Van Dijk, Tete, De Ligt, Van Aanholt, Ake |
| Midfielders | Wijnaldum, Strootman, Propper, Vilhena, De Roon, Van de Beek, Vormer, F. De Jong |
| Forwards | Babel, Memphis, Promes, L. De Jong, Kluivert |
Wesley Sneijder has retired from international football so will, of course, not be in the squad for the match. Otherwise, the Dutch are in good shape and will start Lyon duo Kenny Tete and Memphis Depay.
All eyes will be on midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona, to see how he fares against the elite French duo of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante.
Netherlands starting XI: Cillessen;De Ligt, Van Dijk, Blind; Propper, De Jong, Babel, Tete; Wijnaldum, Promes, Depay
France are 9/20 favourites to win the match at bet365. Netherlands are 6/1, while a draw is priced at 10/3.
Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
France will play their first match on home soil following their World Cup victory in the summer and are hopeful of receiving a heroic welcome from the Stade de France crowd.
Didier Deschamps’ side have won the public over after a decade that began with the unseemly strike in South Africa under Raymond Domenech and threatened to be an era of unfulfilled potential as they suffered Euro 2016 heartbreak, losing to Portugal in the final.
Instead, with a bright young side, France are aiming to build an international dynasty, with no obvious weak links in their ranks.
Germany pushed them hard earlier in the week, but Deschamps’ depth was proven by Areola’s outstanding display on debut, with the PSG man having been third-choice keeper at the World Cup.
Koeman’s Netherlands side are not respecters of reputation and are not fearful of history – even when it is as recent as two months ago.
“France deservedly won the World Cup,” he said. “It’s a great achievement, but also a thing of the past. It’s now up to us to have a good game against the world champions and get a result. Everything that has already been and gone no longer counts.”
The Netherlands were the victims of the French in the qualifying for that tournament, going down 1-0 at home to a goal from Pogba but suffering a stunning 4-0 defeat in Paris barely a year ago.
This is an ideal chance to show how much progress has been made.
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