Our betting expert has three Spain vs France tips for Thursday’s Nations League semi-final at MHP Arena in Stuttgart (8pm kick-off). Scroll down for the analysis behind his selections.
By Luke Seychell
- Spain to win @ 7/5 with Paddy Power
- Lamine Yamal to score or assist @ 6/5 with Sky Bet
- Bet Builder: Over 2, Aurelien Tchouameni to be carded and Michael Olise 1+ shots on target @ 14/1 with bet365
La Roja can triumph in heavyweight tussle
Spain have kicked on since winning Euro 2024 and they can advance to another major final by defeating France on Thursday.
It would have been understandable if La Roja had eased off after their exploits in Germany last summer.
But they cruised through Nations League Group A4, taking 16 points from six games, and showed a steely side in their quarter-final against the Netherlands – drawing 5-5 on aggregate and winning 5-4 on penalties.
Luis de la Fuente’s side have had to negotiate the last 10 months without Rodri, who is still on the comeback trail after a long-term ACL injury, but they have coped impressively without their midfield mainstay and are approaching the final week of the Nations League with high hopes of defending the trophy they lifted in 2023.
France are aiming to claim this silverware for a second time, having triumphed 2-1 over Spain in the 2021 final.
However, they have lost six of their last nine matches against the Iberians, including a semi-final at Euro 2024 when they were beaten 2-1 despite taking the lead with Randal Kolo-Muani’s ninth-minute goal.
France’s attacking options look as healthy as ever with Kylian Mbappe coming off a strong first season with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain trio Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue eager to build on their positive experiences in the Champions League final.
But they needed a penalty shootout to get past unfancied Croatia in the quarter-finals and would need a big improvement to give Spain a serious run for their money.
France are dangerous opposition due to their individual brilliance, but they are not as well-balanced as the Spanish and are likely to fall short in Stuttgart.
- Spain vs France Tip 1: Spain to win @ 7/5 with Paddy Power
- Power Prices, Wonder Wheel & Acca Insurance among a range of top offers
- Innovative Super Sub offer means bets roll over to the player coming on
Lively Lamine can have his say
Spain’s success at Euro 2024 was daunting for their rivals because they were clearly a team with so much scope to improve.
There was a youthful exuberance about the way they played and none of their individuals shone brighter than talented teenager Lamine Yamal, who delivered his best moment of the tournament by scoring in the 2-1 semi-final success over France.
Yamal followed Euro 2024 with a strong season for Barcelona, delivering 13 assists and nine goals for the title-winning Catalans.
He continues to progress at a rapid rate and could come up with another magic moment against Les Bleus.
- Spain vs France Tip 2: Yamal to score or assist @ 6/5 with Sky Bet
- Stake as little as 5p to benefit from new customer offer
- Recent site refresh has made navigation far more friendly
Tchouameni could be walking a disciplinary tightrope
With such an abundance of attacking talent on show, there seems to be a strong chance of an exciting game with plenty of goals.
And one of the main threats from France could come from Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, who netted 12 Bundesliga goals this season from 86 goal attempts.
While Olise looks a solid bet to post an effort on target, defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni will be preoccupied with stemming Spanish attacks.
Tchouameni was cautioned in three of his last five Real Madrid appearances and a card could be coming his way against the Spanish.
- Spain vs France Tip 3: Bet Builder: Over 2 goals, Aurelien Tchouameni to be carded and Michael Olise 1+ shots on target @ 14/1 with bet365
- Tons of free-to-play games offering free bets & huge cash prizes
- Super Boosts & Boosted Bet Builders guarantee attractive odds daily
