Defending champions France have had a rough start to this year's Nations League, but when Croatia visits the Stade de France tonight, they will be hoping for their first win in group. Les Bleus have had a difficult time this international break, as they have drawn back-to-back games, including a 1-1 draw in Croatia on Monday. The defending world champions have dropped to the bottom of their group and are in serious danger of being relegated from the competition's top division.Prior to their eye-catching 1-0 win in Denmark on Friday, Croatia had been propping up the group, a result that will have strengthened Zlatko Dalic's side's confidence ahead of their journey to the French capital.

During the international break, France had worries about Kylian Mbappe's fitness, but the Paris Saint-Germain forward came off the bench to score a late equalizer against Austria on Friday, and he should now be well enough to start.Other players pressing for recalls include Ben Yedder, Presnel Kimpembe, Matteo Guendouzi, and Christopher Nkunku, while N'Golo Kante has withdrawn from the team due to a knee problem, and Lucas Hernandez will be absent due to his partner's impending baby. Croatia picked up no new fitness worries in their win over Denmark, although they are still missing injured duo Ivan Perisic and Josko Gvardiol, as well as left-backs Borna Barisic and Borna Sosa, who were all absent in Copenhagen. On Friday, Josip Juranovic filled in at left-back and is expected to do so again, while Domagoj Vida, Duje Caleta-Car, Mateo Kovacic, and inspiring captain Luka Modric may all return to the starting XI.

In this match, history is on France's side, as they have won six of their nine previous games with Croatia, including a 4-2 victory in the 2018 World Cup final. Croatia has never defeated France and has just once averted loss away from home — a goalless draw in an international friendly in 2011, but the visitors will enter this encounter having won only one of their 12 games since last summer's Euro 2020. Prior to losing at home to Denmark at the start of the international break, France was on a seven-match winning streak, and Didier Deschamps' side is now hoping to avoid back-to-back defeats on home soil for the first time in over a decade.

I think Croatia is doing well recently and even they overachieved, and here we have motivated France side to win finaly, so it's a decent shoot at these odds backing the world champions. We all realized now that Uefa NAtions League is a very tricky competition to bet on, so keep the stakes below regular.