The UEFA Nations League kicks off on Thursday night, with the first round of games running from then until next Tuesday. This is an exciting new competition brought in by FIFA to try and put an end to meaningless friendlies where teams have nothing to play for, and where games can often be one-sided. We have nine games scheduled for the opening day on Thursday, and the game between Germany and France is certainly the most interesting and the one that many will want to watch.

This is the first time we have seen France since their World Cup success and it will be interesting to see how the cope with the target they will have on them going forward. Everyone wants to beat the world champions, and that is something the French will have to learn to deal with, and things couldn’t be much tougher for them on opening night. The Germans didn’t have the best World cup, and questions were asked afterwards about their performance. The Nations League is probably the ideal tournament for them because it gives them a chance to prove to their disappointed fans that they are capable of mixing it with the best, instead of beating lower ranked teams and receiving no recognition for it.

If you are unsure what the UEFA Nations League is, or how the groups work then this article tells you everything you need to know, and what FIFA hopes it will bring to the international schedule.

France – World Cup Winners 2018

This French team was fancied by many to do well at the World Cup, but I doubt many of their fans expected the success they have. Not only did we see them perform to a very high standard to win the tournament, but their management of the competition was hugely impressive, and they got slightly better with each game, saving their two best performances for the semi-final and final. This is when you need to be at your best, and when the French needed their players to step up they certainly did. Overall this was a fantastic tournament for the French, and they appear as though they will be a force in world football for years to come.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_f-SDCDKkI

One thing they will have to deal with, starting with this game in Germany, is the target that will be on their back. Everyone will want to play France and everyone will want to beat them. It won’t be difficult for their opponents to get up for a game against the French, and that includes Germany here despite their rich history. Beating the current world champions would be a great way for this German team to bounce back and show their World Cup performance was nothing other than a blip.

The big postivie for the French is that their veteran presence is very small, and they are not going to lose anyone of note before Euro 2020, and probably not before the next World Cup in 2022. This team won together and looking forward, they know they can stick together if they continue to perform well. Winning the World Cup and Euro double is something that is not easy to do, but it will be something they have in their sights, and why not when they know they are such a good team.

Time for a German Regroup

Going into the 2018 World Cup, Germany had changed quite a few of their players from the squad that won the 2014 competition, mainly due to retirements. However, the signs ahead of the 2018 tournament were positive, and many thought that the Germans would be able to go to Russia and put up a strong defence of their title, even with the new players invovled. However, this didn’t turn out to be the case and it is now time for them to regroup and have a think about where to go next.

There is no doubt that this German team has enough quality to succeed on the world stage, but do they have the right personalities and the right attitude to do that? Crashing out of the group stages and finishing bottom of their group could have been the best thing to happen to the Germans for their long term success, and it could breed a new hunger into the team going forward. We won’t know if thats the case for certain until Euro 2020, but we should be able to get a feel for where the Germans are when they take on strong opposition in the Nations League.

While some Germans would have liked nothing more than a few easy friendlies to get back to winning ways after the World Cup, the Nations League provides them with a chance to show they are one of the best teams in the world right away. To be the best, you have to beat the best and this game against France is an important one for the Germans. A win here would begin to put a lot of the things right that went wrong this summer, while a loss wouldn’t be the end of the world, because France are the world champions. In some ways this is a no lose situation for the home team, which should help them settle into the game and relax.

Germany vs France Betting Tips

This is probably a much tougher game than both of these would have liked as a first look after the World Cup, but a great game for the fans to enjoy. France will ensure they are tough to beat, just like we saw in the World Cup and Germany will come here with a point to prove after crashing out of the competition. Both will want to win but I think they may cancel each other out, and they may both have to settle for a draw in this one.

The Germans are good enough to compete with France, but are they good enough to unlock them and beat them? France come here on a high, but will they be up for this game and at their very best, which they will need to be if they want to beat Germany?

There are plenty of questions to answer on both sides so I will stick to the middle ground and go for a draw here. This should certainly be worth watching, and is a good start to the Nations League, something I hope takes off and is taken seriously by the nations that are taking part because it could add great value to the international program.

A good game ending in a draw is the pick on Thursday when France travel to Germany.

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