France and Italy renew one of international football’s most historic rivalries on Friday when the two European heavyweights meet at the Stade de France in the UEFA Nations League.
Both nations arrive in Paris after winning their second matches of the campaign. France sit top of League A Group 1 with six points from six, while Italy have recovered from their opening defeat to Belgium by producing an emphatic victory over Turkiye.
For Zinedine Zidane, it is a particularly significant homecoming. For Roberto Mancini, it represents another opportunity to rebuild Italy after a difficult period. France have made an ideal beginning to the Zidane era and the former France midfielder has overseen two wins from two, both away from home. Les Bleus began with a narrow 1-0 victory over Turkiye, before Michael Olise came off the bench to secure a 1-0 win against Belgium in Brussels.
Zidane rotated his team heavily in Belgium, but France still created enough to win, twice striking the woodwork before Olise eventually found the breakthrough. That victory also extended their remarkable record against Belgium to seven consecutive wins. The bigger picture is even more encouraging for Zidane.
France have already established themselves at the top of a competitive group, and Friday’s fixture will be their first home match of his tenure and the atmosphere at the Stade de France should therefore be particularly significant. Italy’s campaign, on the other hand, began in very different circumstances.
Mancini returned to the national-team dugout with a 2-0 defeat to Belgium, but his side produced an emphatic response in Bursa on Monday where Italy dismantled Turkiye 4-1, racing into a three-goal lead before half time. Alessandro Bastoni and Davide Frattesi both scored, while Michael Kayode marked his senior debut with an impressive goal. Pio Esposito later completed the scoring after Türkiye had pulled one back.
For Mancini, the result provided an immediate indication that his second spell can take a different direction from the disappointing opening performance. Kayode’s emergence is particularly interesting as the defender’s attacking contribution on debut adds another option to an Italy side attempting to develop younger players while maintaining the tactical discipline traditionally associated with the Azzurri.
France and Italy have produced some of international football’s most memorable encounters. Since Italy defeated France in the 2006 World Cup final, France have won four of the six subsequent meetings, with Italy winning two. Their most recent Nations League encounters in the previous edition were split, with both nations winning 3-1 away from home.
The 2006 World Cup final also gives Friday’s match an additional historical connection for Zidane, who spent five years playing for Juventus and whose final appearance as a professional came against Italy in Berlin. Now, almost two decades later, he will face the Azzurri again, this time from the French dugout.
The midfield contest should be central to the match as France have the technical quality to control possession, but Italy’s response against Turkiye demonstrated how dangerous they can be when they regain the ball and attack quickly. Zidane may therefore ask his midfield to control the tempo while ensuring Italy cannot transition into open space.
The visitors, meanwhile, could look to exploit France’s full-back positioning. If France push both full-backs forward, Mancini’s side have players capable of attacking the channels quickly.The visitors will also need to deal with France’s depth. Zidane demonstrated against Belgium that he can make significant changes without dramatically reducing his team’s attacking threat.
France should look to establish control early without becoming overly aggressive. The victory over Belgium demonstrated that they can remain patient and wait for opportunities, but Italy are likely to provide more attacking threat than the Belgian side did on Monday. Finding space between Italy’s midfield and defensive lines could therefore be crucial.
The away side’s priority will be to reproduce the intensity they showed against Turkiye. Their three-goal first-half burst demonstrated what can happen when their pressing and forward movement work together. However, France represent a much greater test. Mancini’s men cannot afford to leave large spaces behind their midfield, particularly against the home side’s pace and individual quality. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ on the day.
Team News & Tactics
France
France could make significant changes for their third Nations League fixture, with Zinedine Zidane managing a demanding run of four competitive matches in just 11 days. Only Mike Maignan and Maxence Lacroix are expected to retain their starting places from the victory over Belgium.
The hosts remain without Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba, leaving Dayot Upamecano and Lacroix as the likely centre-back pairing. Jeremy Jacquet partnered Lacroix against Belgium, while the squad has also provided opportunities to Andy Diouf and Lucas Da Cunha, who could feature again depending on Zidane’s rotation plans.
With Kylian Mbappe unavailable after his knee injury, Ousmane Dembele is the leading candidate to return to the central striker position. Michael Olise and Desire Doue should operate from the flanks. Rayan Cherki, Manu Kone, and Adrien Rabiot are expected to form the midfield trifecta, giving France a combination of creativity, ball progression and defensive coverage.
Without Mbappe, France are likely to rely more heavily on movement rather than a fixed attacking reference point. Dembele can drift away from the centre, while Olise and Doue can move inside from their respective flanks. That could create a constantly rotating front three and make Italy’s defensive assignments more difficult.
Rayan Cherki is another key tactical piece as he can carry the ball forward from the mifield and find pockets between Italy’s midfield and defensive lines. His positioning could force Italy’s midfielders into difficult decisions over whether to step out or protect the back four. The Kone-Rabiot combination should provide the necessary balance. The former can protect the defence and counter the away side’s transitions, allowingthe latter to make more progressive movements.
France may also look to press immediately after losing possession. Italy showed against Turkiye that they can be extremely dangerous when they win the ball and attack space quickly, so Zidane will not want his full-backs and midfielders caught too high simultaneously.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Maignan; Kalulu, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert; Cherki, Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Doue
Italy
Italy arrive in Paris with renewed confidence after their emphatic 4-1 victory over Turkiye, and Roberto Mancini has several selection decisions to make after naming a large 34-man squad for the international window. Pio Esposito scored his sixth international goal in 11 appearances against Turkiye and is expected to remain involved in the attacking picture.
With Mateo Retegui not selected and Giacomo Raspadori now injured, the Esposito brothers, Moise Kean and Gianluca Scamacca are competing for attacking positions. Mancini could also restore several players who were left out of the matchday squad against Turkiye.
Nicolo Barella, Honest Ahanor and Gianluca Mancini are among those who could return to contention. At the back, Michael Kayode is pushing for another opportunity after marking his senior debut with a goal against Turkiye.
Mancini’s main challenge will be finding the right balance between the attacking freedom Italy showed against Turkiye and the defensive discipline required against France. The Tonali-Barella-Fagioli midfield would give Italy a strong mixture of ball recovery, progressive passing and positional intelligence. Tonali can drop deeper during build-up, while Barella has the freedom to make forward runs and support the front three.
The Esposito brothers could provide an interesting attacking dynamic. Pio Esposito offers a central reference point, while Sebastiano can operate in wider areas or drop deeper to connect midfield with attack. Italy are also likely to target the spaces behind France’s full-backs. The home side’s 4-3-3 can become very aggressive when their full-backs advance, and Italy’s quick transitions could punish any gaps left behind them.
The key for Mancini will therefore be when to press and when to retreat. Italy cannot allow France to establish sustained possession around the penalty area, but pressing too aggressively could leave Dembele, Olise and Doue with room to counter attack.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Kayode, Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Barella, Fagioli, Tonali; Sebastiano Esposito, Pio Esposito, Cambiaghi
Key Stats
- France have six points from their opening two Nations League matches, winning both games 1-0 against Turkiye and Belgium.
- Italy responded to their 2-0 defeat against Belgium by beating Turkiye 4-1, scoring three times before half-time and adding a fourth after the break.
- France have won four of the last five meetings between the nations, including both Nations League meetings in 2024.
- The two Nations League meetings in 2024 produced identical 3-1 away victories. Italy won 3-1 in Paris in September, before France won 3-1 in Milan in November.
- France have scored twice and conceded zero in their first two matches of this Nations League campaign, while Italy have scored four and conceded three across their opening two games.
Player to Watch
Michael Olise
The Bayern Munich winger comes into the fixture with confidence after scoring the only goal in France’s 1-0 victory over Belgium, coming off the bench to settle a closely contested game. His ability to influence matches even without starting makes him an important weapon for Zinedine Zidane.
With Kylian Mbappe unavailable, France are likely to rely more heavily on movement and combinations across the front three. Olise’s tendency to drift inside from the right could allow him to operate between Italy’s midfield and defensive lines, where his passing and close control can become particularly dangerous.
His relationship with Ousmne Dembele and Desire Doue will also be worth watching. If the three forwards interchange positions, Italy’s defenders could be forced into difficult decisions about whether to follow them or maintain their defensive shape.
Olise could also benefit from Rayan Cherki’s presence in midfield. The latter’s ability to carry the ball forward and draw opponents towards him could create additional pockets for Olise to exploit. Italy’s defensive transition will therefore be crucial. After scoring four against Turkiye, the Azzurri will want to attack with the same intensity, but losing possession in advanced areas could leave space for Olise and France’s other forwards to exploit.
Prediction
France 2-1 Italy
Italy’s 4-1 victory over Turkiye will give Roberto Mancini’s side confidence, but France have started the Zidane era with two wins and will now enjoy home advantage. The visitors should make this competitive, but France’s attacking depth and ability to control the tempo should ultimately prove decisive.
