Two of Europe’s football powerhouses are set to clash once again, this time with an Olympic gold medal on the line as hosts France face Euro 2024 winners Spain. Both nations are eager to add another prestigious chapter to their histories. Thierry Henry’s French side overcame a challenging semi-final against Egypt, securing a 3-1 victory after extra time, to reach the final for the first time since their triumph in 1984 in Los Angeles.

France has shown solid performance at both ends of the pitch throughout the tournament, especially in defense, conceding just once in their five matches. Their impeccable record includes five victories, making them slight favorites with bookmakers. This status is bolstered by their joint-competition high of 11 goals scored at the Games.

Spain, however, is also among the top-scoring teams in the tournament. They come into the final buoyed by a dramatic 2-1 semi-final win over Morocco, with Juanlu’s decisive strike in the 85th minute. This victory puts them in their second consecutive Olympic final, following their heartbreaking extra-time loss to Brazil in the delayed 2020 Olympics.

Despite their attacking prowess, Spain has shown defensive vulnerabilities. They have managed just one clean sheet in five matches, with four of the five goals they’ve conceded coming in the first half, indicating a tendency for slow starts.

Key players to watch include France’s Jean-Philippe Mateta and Spain’s Fermín López, both of whom have scored four goals each in the tournament. They are both contenders for the competition’s Golden Boot, trailing Morocco’s Soufiane Rahimi. Notably, four of their combined eight goals have come before the 25th minute, making early breakthroughs likely.

Form Guide

France U23 LWWWWW 

France U23, building on their recent success, will be looking for another strong performance following their 3-1 victory over Egypt U23 in the Olympics.

In that match, France U23’s goals came from Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored twice (83′, 99′), and Michael Olise, who added another in the 108th minute. Mahmoud Saber scored for Egypt U23 in the 62nd minute. The French side secured their win in extra time.

A notable trend in recent France U23 matches is the frequent occurrence of clean sheets. In their last six games prior to this one, a bet on both teams to score  would have been unsuccessful in all six instances.

Spain U23 LWWLWW

Spain U23 enters the game on the back of a 2-1 victory over Morocco U23 in their last Olympic match.

In that game, Spain U23’s goals were scored by Fermín López in the 65th minute and Juanlu Sánchez in the 85th minute. Soufiane Rahimi found the net for Morocco U23 in the 37th minute.

A notable pattern in Spain U23’s recent matches is the high goal count. In all of their last six games, three or more goals have been scored. During this period, the average number of goals per game stands at 3.17, with Spain U23 averaging 2 goals per match.

France U23 vs Spain U23 Predicted XI

France U23 Predicted XI: Tenas; Pubill, Cubarsi, Garcia, Miranda; Barrios, Baena; Oroz, F. Lopez, Gomez; Ruiz

Spain U23 Predicted XI: Restes; Sildillia, Bade, Lukeba, Truffert; Millot, Kone, Chotard; Olise; Lacazette, Mateta

Prediction

Taking all factors into account, Spain U23 certainly has the capability to score against this France U23 lineup. However, that may not be enough to avoid a loss.

Our prediction is a 2-1 victory for France U23 at the end of the match. It’s expected to be a close contest, either way.