Belgium vs. France | UEFA Nations League | Pre Match

Neighbours Belgium and France meet for the second time in the space of a month on matchday four in the UEFA Nations League on Monday night.

France have recovered from an opening day defeat by winning their last two, while Belgium have slipped from first to third since their win over Israel on matchday one.

A real Jekyll-and-Hyde performance from Belgium saw them take a point from the Stadio Olimpico against Italy on Thursday night, and they will have been massively disappointed not to come away with a win.

Domenico Tedesco's men were utterly dominated in the opening 30 minutes, going 2-0 down and at threat of conceding more, but Lorenzo Pellegrini's rash challenge saw him dismissed, and changed the entire shape of the game.

Belgium pulled one back instantly thanks to Maxim De Cuyper, Leandro Trossard then equalised on the hour mark, and the Red Devils claimed they should have a penalty and a red card to Alessandro Bastoni, after he chopped Lois Openda down in the area just moments later.

Italy kept 10 on the field though, and would keep Belgium at bay for the remaining half-hour, but the draw does leave Tedesco's men in a decent position after three games, even if it could have been better.

Everyone has beaten Israel so far, and Belgium still have the two heavyweights to play at home, so they will feel as though they have the ascendancy, despite currently sitting outside of the top two.

These two neighbours are becoming very accustomed to meeting each other, as they faced off in France last month, and in Germany over the summer.

France won 2-0 in the reverse just over four weeks ago, and Les Bleus were successful too at the Euros, in a very forgettable 1-0 last-16 success.

Didier Deschamps has always had one over Belgium when it comes to competitive meetings, as his France side also beat Belgium 3-2 in the Nations League semi-finals in 2021 despite going 2-0 down, and they also got the better of the Red Devils in the 2018 World Cup semis.

If that was not enough to make the French feel confident heading into this short away trip, the fact they won 4-1 away to Israel in a completely dominant performance on Thursday should.

In neutral Hungary, France were in complete control for 90 minutes, as Israel's equaliser came with their only shot of the game, and after re-taking the lead four minutes later, the two late goals put some much-deserved gloss on the scoreline.

Deschamps needed a response from his team after the 3-1 home defeat to Italy on matchday one, and that is what he has got, with two wins from two, and another here should almost guarantee a top-two berth considering they still have to face the group's whipping boys Israel at home.