France will aim to secure their place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals when they host Turkey in their final Group A1 fixture on Sunday evening.

Zinedine Zidane’s side remain firmly in contention to win the group despite their recent defeat to Italy, while Turkey arrive in France without a point and already condemned to a bottom-place finish.

Verdict: Both teams to score

Best odds: 3/4

Bookmaker: 20bet

France

France’s qualification hopes remain in their own hands despite Thursday’s setback.

Les Bleus were beaten 3-1 by Italy in Milan, a result that left them level on points with the Azzurri and still facing work to do before a place in the knockout rounds can be celebrated.

France have collected three wins, one draw and one defeat from their five group matches to sit on 10 points heading into the final round of fixtures. Belgium remain just one point behind, meaning nothing can be taken for granted.

Victory over Turkey could be enough to win the group if Italy fail to defeat Belgium, while avoiding defeat would guarantee qualification regardless of other results.

The reverse fixture in September ended in a narrow 1-0 French victory thanks to a goal from Kylian Mbappe, and France’s historical record against Turkey is also encouraging, with just one defeat suffered in seven previous meetings.

Much attention will focus on Mbappe’s fitness after he missed the loss to Italy with a muscular problem. Zidane is hopeful the Real Madrid forward will be available, providing a major boost to the hosts.

Team News

France will still be without William Saliba, Aurelien Tchouameni and Ousmane Dembele through injury, while Dayot Upamecano has left the camp for personal reasons.

Eduardo Camavinga and Ibrahima Konate could both return to the starting lineup as Zidane considers changes.

Turkey

Turkey’s campaign has been a disappointing one from start to finish.

The Crescent-Stars have lost all five of their Nations League matches, scoring just three goals and conceding 13. Their defeat to Belgium on Thursday confirmed they will finish bottom of Group A1 and face relegation to League B.

Sergen Yalcin’s side have struggled badly beyond this competition too, losing seven of their last eight internationals and finding consistency almost impossible to achieve.

Nevertheless, Turkey still have the opportunity to influence the outcome of the group. A positive result in Paris could potentially derail France’s hopes of finishing first and dramatically alter the final standings.

There is some positive news for the visitors, with Abdulkerim Bardakci available again after suspension.

Kenan Yildiz remains unavailable through injury, but Arda Guler continues to be Turkey’s main creative force and was one of the few bright spots in the defeat to Belgium. Enes Unal is also expected to lead the attack after scoring three international goals.

Key Factors to Consider

• France have taken 10 points from five Nations League matches.
• Turkey have lost all five group fixtures.
• Les Bleus won the reverse fixture 1-0.
• Turkey have scored only three goals in the competition.
• Belgium remain just one point behind France heading into the final round.
• Kylian Mbappe could return after missing the defeat to Italy.

Conclusion

Turkey have little to play for beyond pride, but they still possess enough attacking quality to make life uncomfortable for France if given opportunities. It would hardly be surprising to see them hit the back of the net.

However, the difference in quality between the squads remains significant. Even with a few injury concerns, France should be highly motivated knowing qualification and potentially top spot remain within reach.

If Mbappe is fit to return, Les Bleus will be even stronger favourites to get the job done and book their place in the quarter-finals.