France vs Republic of Ireland Predictions

• France have won all four of their Euro 2024 qualifiers to nil.
• Kylian Mbappe has scored seven goals in his last five appearances for France.
• Republic of Ireland haven’t conceded more than two goals in a single game since March 2021.

Mbappe can continue purple patch

Kylian Mbappe’s late miss proved France’s downfall in the World Cup final in December but the Les Bleus captain can help his side to a fifth win in succession when they face Ireland on Thursday.

France’s talisman may have fluffed his lines late on in Qatar but his contribution to the tournament cannot be overstates, with the now 24-year-old topping the scoring charts with eight goals after a hat-trick in the final.

He hasn’t slowed down since, either, scoring four goals in four international appearances and starting the new club campaign in blistering form. He has scored five goals in three outings for PSG this term and looks a good price to add to his 40 international goals at the Parc des Princes on Thursday.

Ireland playing catch-up in Group B

A goal from the skipper could be enough to seal the points for France, too, given their tremendous defensive displays in 2023. They have won all four Euro 2024 qualifiers without conceding and face a Republic of Ireland side that mustered just two shots on target when the sides met in Dublin in March.

Stephen Kenny’s side haven’t made the best start to their qualifying campaign, either, following their defeat to France with a 2-1 loss in Greece.

They have since put their first points on the board against Group B minnows Gibraltar but, with competition for the top two spots likely to be fierce, their hopes of qualifying for next summers’ tournament are dwindling already.

Les Bleus set for comfortable win

France, as you would expect, are short-priced favourites to extend their winning start to the qualifying campaign but their defensive resilience makes backing them to win to nil an enticing option, and a 2-0 correct score prediction appeals, too.

The hosts have averaged 2.25 goals-per-game in their four qualifiers so far and, while the visitors don’t offer a huge amount going forward they are relatively sturdy at the back. They haven’t conceded more than twice since a World Cup qualifier in Serbia over two years ago and their last trip to France ended in a 2-0 defeat in 2018.