France vs Italy - prediction, team news, lineups

Two shot heavyweights volition spell toed to toed connected Friday, arsenic aged foes France and Italy reconvene for a UEFA Nations League contention successful Paris. 

After some won their 2nd crippled earlier this week, the brace volition proceed their League A Group 1 campaigns astatine Stade de France, wherever the hosts' manager seeks a triumphant return.

Match preview

With 2 wins from 2 distant fixtures truthful far, it has been an astir flawless commencement to Zinedine Zidane's reign arsenic France manager.

First, Les Bleus bushed Turkey 1-0 successful Kocaeli acknowledgment to a second-half onslaught from skipper Kylian Mbappe, past they added 3 much points with triumph successful Brussels connected Monday night.

After Zidane made aggregate changes - and his new-look squad had doubly struck the woodwork - Michael Olise stepped disconnected the seat and secured yet different French occurrence implicit Belgium.

France person won 7 consecutive games against their neighbours, and this 1 has near them apical of Group 1 with a maximum six points.

Now acceptable for a location double-header, Zidane is definite of a lukewarm reception successful Paris, wherever helium volition fittingly look Italy connected Friday night: 'Zizou' spent 5 years of a stellar playing vocation with Juventus. 

Both sides bushed the different 3-1 distant from location successful the past Nations League, but France pb 4-2 connected the head-to-head since Italy's triumph successful the 2006 World Cup last - Zidane's infamous last lucifer arsenic a player.

While his French counterpart has waited for years to yet instrumentality the apical job, Roberto Mancini is getting a 2nd ace astatine starring the Azzurri.

The Euro 2020-winning brag began his 2nd spell arsenic nationalist manager with a disappointing 2-0 decision astatine location to Belgium, but a rejuvenated broadside past thumped Turkey 4-1 connected Monday. 

Italy came flying retired of the blocks successful Bursa, arsenic goals from Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode gave them a three-goal pb earlier the break, with the second making a large interaction connected his elder debut.

Extending an awesome commencement to his ain planetary career, Kayode's erstwhile Under-21s teammate Pio Esposito aboriginal added another, soon aft the hosts had pulled 1 back.

Having got disconnected the mark, Mancini indispensable proceed gathering towards the adjacent Euros via this Nations League campaign, pursuing successful the aftermath of Italy's latest World Cup qualifying disaster.

After a little instrumentality to their grooming base, La Nazionale volition depart for the French capital, earlier wrapping up a engaged docket by welcoming Turkey to Bologna conscionable 3 days later.

France Nations League form:

Italy Nations League form:

Team News

Amid a slate of 4 competitory games wrong the abstraction of 11 days, Zidane whitethorn take to marque much changes, aft lone Mike Maignan and Maxence Lacroix kept their spot past clip out.

With Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba unavailable, Jeremy Jacquet partnered Lacroix astatine centre-back, portion Italy-based duo Andy Diouf and Lucas Da Cunha were besides handed their archetypal cap.

As Mbappe injured himself portion scoring the victor successful Turkey, Esteban Lepaul led the enactment connected Monday; however, the Rennes guardant could beryllium replaced by Ousmane Dembele.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan prima Pio Esposito scored his sixth extremity successful 11 planetary games by netting Italy's 4th against Turkey, having started alongside member Sebastiano.

Mateo Retegui was not called up, truthful Moise Kean and Gianluca Scamacca indispensable vie with the Espositos for enactment erstwhile again.  

Mancini named a 34-man squad for this camp, but 10 were near down connected Monday; now, Nicolo Barella, Honest Ahanor and Gianluca Mancini are among those who could travel backmost into contention.

France imaginable starting lineup:

Maignan; Kalulu, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert; Cherki, Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Doue

Italy imaginable starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Kayode, Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Barella, Fagioli, Tonali; Raspadori, P. Esposito, Cambiaghi

We say: France 2-1 Italy 

Although Italy showed overmuch much tone and fluency successful their 2nd Group 1 game, they present look a important measurement up successful class.

France whitethorn person been restricted to one-goal wins truthful far, but the Zidane epoch has started promisingly, and adjacent without Mbappe they person capable nous to bushed the Azzurri's dubious defence.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.