It was widely anticipated that the Netherlands and France would be the leaders in Group D, and the teams will clash on Friday.
Both teams made strong starts with the Oranje coming from behind to win 2-1 against Poland and the French digging out a 1-0 success over a determined Austria.
France’s three points came at a cost with their best player, Kylian Mbappe, sustaining a broken nose which will require surgery after the end of the tournament.
Mbappe may need time to recover from his setback and it will be fascinating to see how the French cope if he doesn't play.
France would have been hoping for Kylian Mbappe to turbo-charge their bid for Euro glory, but they can show that they are more than a one-man attack by defeating the Netherlands in Leipzig.
Mbappe will be keen to get back onto the pitch as soon as possible and will likely have to play with the aid of a protective mask.
However, he seems set for a short-term spell on the sidelines, posing a massive challenge to France head coach Didier Deschamps and his staff.
Losing Mbappe to an injury was always going to be France’s nightmare scenario but it shouldn’t have a disastrous impact on their campaign.
France might have to face the Dutch without their superstar but they have plenty of depth and should feel confident of beating a team who they beat twice in qualifying.
The Netherlands will be encouraged by Mbappe’s probable absence but they are having to adjust themselves having made the short trip to Germany without injured midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners.
Ronald Koeman’s side got off to a successful start with a workmanlike 2-1 victory over Poland but they will be expecting a big step up in class irrespective of the status of France’s main man.
Koeman may urge his side to get on the front foot and push for the win which could secure top spot in the section and increase the chances of a more favourable route through the knockout rounds.
But an attacking approach could be fraught with danger against the French, who have the pace and power - even without Mbappe - to rip teams apart on the counter-attack.
France would love to get Mbappe back as soon as possible but they are still a great side without him and can register another valuable victory.
Mbappe’s absence would force other players to take extra responsibility and Antoine Griezmann is somebody with the talent and personality to play a starring role.
Griezmann is often at the heart of France’s most incisive attacks and has contributed 44 goals and 38 assists in 130 international appearances.
He takes the majority of France’s free-kicks and corners and should have an excellent target to hit with Olivier Giroud expected to be recalled to the side.
The Dutch will be aware of Griezmann’s threat but may be unable to prevent him from providing a match-winning moment.
Veteran France striker Giroud is set for his first start of the tournament and he could make an immediate impact.
The 37-year-old is France’s all-time top scorer with 57 goals although that accolade might not last much longer with Mbappe snapping at his heels on 47 goals.
However, Giroud will be doing his utmost to contribute in what is likely to be his last major tournament and he looks overpriced to break the deadlock in Leipzig.
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Netherlands | +220 |
Draw | +240 |
France | +125 |
Kylian Mbappe (France) | +150 |
Olivier Giroud (France) | +260 |
Brian Brobbey (Netherlands) | +300 |
Cody Gakpo (Netherlands) | +300 |
Marcus Thuram (France) | +300 |
Memphis Depay (Netherlands) | +300 |
Wout Weghorst (Netherlands) | +300 |
Antoine Griezmann (France) | +333 |
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.