Les Bleus take on Israel this Thursday (8:45pm) at the Stade de France. A match of the fifth day of the Nations League which will be broadcast by TF1. Of course, you’ll want to keep an eye on with live commentary on our website.

What’s at stake for Les Bleus?

This penultimate match of the year could see the French team book their place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League. The top two finishers in each group qualify. Les Bleus are currently second in the rankings with nine points, five ahead of third-placed Belgium. A draw would be enough to keep Didier Deschamps’ men happy. In fact, they could even qualify if they lose to Israel and Belgium fail to beat Italy at the same time. Italy in the lead in the A2 group standings with ten bridges, will be France’s last opponent on November 17 in Milan, on the occasion of the Matchday 6. A final for first place? It’s worth noting that the Israeli national team is in last place with zero points and four defeats to date.

What are the precedents between the two teams?

The last time the two teams met, it was largely in Les Bleus’ favor. It was last October 10, in Budapest, during the the third day of the Nations League. 4-1 victory for Francewith goals from Eduardo Camavinga and Christopher Nkunku in the first half, followed by strikes from Mattéo Guendouzi and Bradley Barcola in the final minutes to kill off the suspense. Omri Gandelman had equalised at 1-1 in the first half. It was a controlled match, but one in which the Tricolores didn’t show off their talent… nor were they totally convincing. Seriousness and three points. The returning Nkunku inherited the top mark (7) and neophyte Michael Olise, the lowest (3).

This was the tenth France-Israel or Israel-France match in history. How did they fare? Five French victories, four draws and one defeat. No-one has forgotten the Israeli success at the Parc des Princes in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers on October 13, 1993. France needed a point from their last two games to reach the World Cup in the USA. They lost to Israel (2-3) and then to Bulgaria (2-3).

Will the Stade de France be full?

No. Far from it… There was no particular gauge for this first match at the Stade de France since France-Greece, in June 2023. However, less than 20,000 people are expected in Saint-Denis on Thursday. This will be a record. The lowest attendance at the “SDF” for a Les Bleus match to date? France-New Zealand, in June 2003, for a Confederations Cup match. 36,842 spectators attended the 5-0 victory by Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Bixente Lizarazu and Co. A real flop, no doubt due to the quality of the match, the level of the French team’s recent performances, but also to security aspects.

Which captain for Les Bleus?

With Kylian Mbappé sidelined, Antoine Griezmann retired and Aurelien Tchouaméni withdrawn, Didier Deschamps had to appoint a new captain. This time, it will be N’Golo Kanté. With 63 international caps to his name (2 goals) and aged 33, the Al-Ittihad player is clearly the most experienced of the current squad, ahead of returnees Kingsley Coman (28, 57 caps), Benjamin Pavard (28, 54 caps) and Adrien Rabiot (29, 48 caps). “NG” isn’t the most expressive, however. However, he has been preferred to Jules Koundé (26, 36 caps) or Mike Maignan (29, 26 caps)… pending the return of Mbappé? Deschamps hinted that the question of the armband could arise in the future. In the meantime, Kanté will be captain against Israel. Italy remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure: Kanté is the unanimous choice, on and off the pitch.

Why is this a risky match?

Not because of the stakes or the fear that Israel, ranked 81st in the Fifa rankings, would inspire on the pitch. It’s obviously the current geopolitical context and tensions in the Middle East that make this match tense and explosive. Some have even hoped that it would be played behind closed doors. “France is not backing down, because to do so would be tantamount to abdicating in the face of threats of violence and anti-Semitism.“Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior, was quick to point out. Security measures will nevertheless be stepped up. Fears are also high, following the serious incidents in Amsterdam on November 7, during a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema spoke on Tuesday of a “toxic cocktail of anti-Semitism and hooliganism“. President Macron and Prime Minister Michel Barnierwill attend the game.