Didier Deschamps’s France will be looking to strengthen their position at the top of Group D when they face Iceland on Monday. The home side will be desperate to end their losing streak, but taking on Les Bleus will be no easy task.
Iceland began their qualifying campaign with a stunning 5-0 win over Azerbaijan. However, they have since suffered back-to-back defeats to France (2-1) and Ukraine (5-3). They currently sit third in the group with just three points from as many games.
The hosts are one point behind second-placed Ukraine, who currently occupy the playoff spot. After losing to Ukraine on Friday night, Iceland will need to produce something special to have any chance against France.
The visitors, meanwhile, top the group with three wins from three. They kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 win over Ukraine, followed it up with a 2-1 victory against Iceland, and most recently cruised past Azerbaijan 3-0. Les Bleus head into this fixture as overwhelming favourites once again.
In their last meeting with Iceland, France were reduced to ten men, and they could only manage a narrow 2-1 win. This time, however, Deschamps’s men will be eager to deliver a more dominant, statement performance. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
The home team will be without the services of Andri Gudjohnsen for this fixture because of suspension. As a result, Daniel Gudjohnsen could come into the starting eleven for Iceland against France on Monday.
Iceland will most likely have a very similar team to the one that started in their last outing. It will be a 4-3-3, where Elias Rafn Olafsson will be in goal. Victor Palsson and Mikael Egill Ellertsson should feature as the full-backs, with Sverrir Ingi Ingason pairing up alongside Daniel Gretarsson in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Albert Gudmundsson will start alongside Isak Bergmann Johannesson and Hakon Arnar Haraldsson in the centre of the park. Ideally, the trio would love to control the tempo, but they are unlikely to have much of the ball and might have a lot of defending to do.
In the final third, Jon Dagur Thorsteinsson and Saevar Atli Magnusson will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Daniel Gudjohnsen should lead the line for Iceland against France on Monday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Olafsson; Palsson, Ingason, Gretarsson, Ellertsson; Gudmundsson, Johannesson, Haraldsson; Magnusson, D Gudjohnsen, Thorsteinsson
Kylian Mbappe and Ibrahima Konate have joined Bradley Barcola, Marcus Thuram, Desire Doue, and Ousmane Dembele on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Aurelien Tchouameni remains suspended for this fixture.
While Didier Deschamps will be without the services of quite a few of his stars, he should still have enough quality to get the job done. He will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Mike Maignan will be in goal.
Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez will be the full-backs, with William Saliba starting alongside Dayot Upamecano at the heart of the defence. The back four will receive significant support from Adrien Rabiot and Khephren Thuram, who will form the double pivot in the middle of the park.
In the final third, Kingsley Coman and Hugo Ekitike will feature on the flanks, while Michael Olise will take up the number ten role. In Kylian Mbappe’s absence, Jean-Philippe Mateta could get the opportunity to lead the line for France against Iceland.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Theo Hernandez; Khephren Thuram, Rabiot; Coman, Olise, Ekitike; Mateta
Ekitike has had quite an impressive start to life at Liverpool. The 23-year-old French striker has been involved in a total of ten games across competitions thus far in the 2025/26 season, and he has managed to contribute towards six goals.
While the Frenchman has three caps for the national team, the former PSG prospect is yet to find the back of the net. He will be eager to get off the mark when he takes the field against Iceland. With a few of their star forwards unavailable, Ekitike will see this as an opportunity to grab the headlines.
France are expected to take control of the game right from the outset, with their superior quality and depth likely to overwhelm Iceland. Even with several key players unavailable, Didier Deschamps’ squad possesses enough firepower to dominate possession and create chances at will.
Iceland, on the other hand, will look to stay compact and rely on counter-attacks or set pieces to trouble the French defence. However, with France’s defensive organisation and attacking balance, it is hard to see the hosts containing them for long. Unless they produce something extraordinary, Iceland are likely to be second best throughout. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the away team.
