On Friday night, two football powerhouses clash as France and Italy launch their UEFA Nations League campaigns at Parc des Princes.
Italy, who had a disappointing defense of their European title this summer, face a French side that fell short in the Euro 2024 semi-finals, losing to eventual champions Spain. The two teams now meet in Paris for what promises to be an exciting encounter.
Despite making it to the final four, France’s performance in the tournament was far from convincing. Randal Kolo Muani’s early goal in the semi-final against Spain sparked hope, but with only one other goal from a set-piece or own goal, their attack struggled.
Kylian Mbappe, France’s captain, had a frustrating tournament. After breaking his nose in the opener against Austria, he returned wearing a mask, and his play seemed to suffer. It was a disappointing run for a team that reached the 2022 World Cup final.
As usual, coach Didier Deschamps faced criticism for his cautious tactics. However, the experienced manager is set to guide Les Bleus into another Nations League campaign. Deschamps, who led France to World Cup victory in 2018 and Nations League glory in 2021, saw his team finish a poor third in their group last season, with just five points from six games.
France can’t afford a repeat of that performance in the 2024-25 season. With relegation on the line for the bottom team in each group and third-place sides forced into playoffs to avoid demotion to League B, the pressure is on. The top two teams in Group 2, which also includes Belgium and Israel, will advance to the quarter-finals, with the winners heading to next summer’s finals.
If France had a disappointing Euros, Italy’s campaign was downright dismal. They scraped through their group with a last-minute goal from Mattia Zaccagni against Croatia but were knocked out in the round of 16 by Switzerland, ending their hopes of defending their title.
Italy’s coach, Luciano Spalletti, has been reflective about their performance. He’s talked about bringing more clarity and consistency to the team, phasing out some older players while introducing new talent. Spalletti took over from Roberto Mancini, who led Italy to top their Nations League group and a third-place finish in the finals.
Before facing Israel next week, Italy kicks off their campaign against France, a team they’ve lost to in their last three friendlies. However, the two sides have a storied history, with Italy famously beating France in the 2006 World Cup final. This match marks their first competitive meeting in 16 years, reigniting an old rivalry at Parc des Princes.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Didier Deschamps has largely stuck with his Euro 2024 squad for the upcoming Nations League games, but there are a few notable changes. Adrien Rabiot, currently a free agent, and Inter Milan defender Benjamin Pavard have both been left out of the team.
In a fresh move, Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise has earned his first call-up after an impressive Olympic campaign where he was involved in seven goals, helping France secure a silver medal. Roma's recent signing, Manu Kone, might also make his senior debut for the national team.
Another Olympian, Loic Bade, has been included after Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana withdrew to focus on regaining fitness following a lengthy injury recovery. In addition, Ferland Mendy has pulled out, and Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne has stepped in to replace him. Midfield cover comes from Italy-based Matteo Guendouzi.
On the Italian side, Gianluca Scamacca will miss out after suffering an ACL injury, while Nicolo Barella is also unavailable after undergoing sinus surgery.
In total, Luciano Spalletti will be without eight players from his Euro squad, including key figures like Gianluca Mancini and Jorginho. However, there are first-time call-ups for Marco Brescianini and Caleb Okoli. Returning players include Destiny Udogie, Moise Kean, and Sandro Tonali.
Spalletti has indicated that, following his tactical experiments at the Euros, he plans to stick with a back three moving forward. This means Giacomo Raspadori and in-form Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui could feature in a 3-5-2 setup for Italy.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
France possible starting lineup:
Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Konate, T. Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Zaire-Emery; Dembele, Thuram, Mbappe
Italy possible starting lineup:
Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Cambiaso, Ricci, Tonali, Frattesi, Dimarco; Raspadori, Retegui
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
France 2-1 Italy
Given this, France is likely to come away with all three points on the opening day, leaving Italy with plenty to improve on as they face the rest of their Group 2 matches.
