New Zealand vs France

Stade Velodrome sets the stage for a ‘David vs Goliath’ clash between New Zealand and the 2024 Olympic Games host nation France.

New Zealand’s fourth Olympic Games appearance in the 21st century was off to a superb start as they stunned Guinea 2-1 in their Group A opener to ignite hopes of reaching the knockout stages, just as they did in Tokyo in 2020. However, Darren Bazeley’s side had a harsh reality check on matchday two as the United States wiped the floor with them, claiming an overwhelming 4-1 win in Marseille. As a result, the Oceanian minnows must avoid defeat against France and hope the US fail to beat Guinea to advance into the quarter-finals. Keeping a clean sheet could be crucial, not least because the OlyWhites have netted 2+ goals in just two of their 12 previous Olympic fixtures.

Things look much simpler from France’s perspective after victories in their opening two Group A outings fired them into the knockout stages with a game to spare. Les Bleus come into round three as one of only three nations carrying a 100% win ratio into the final matchday. However, they’ve yet to secure knockout qualification. Avoiding defeat against New Zealand would seal the deal for Thierry Henry’s side as they bid to bring home the gold medal for the first time since conquering the 1984 tournament in Los Angeles. Unbeaten in all seven matches in 2024 (W5, D2), Henry’s troops enter the field as odds-on pre-match favorites, but action may come late in this contest. France’s four goals in this summer’s competition have arrived after the hour mark.