Who: Italy vs France
What: UEFA Nations League, Group A۱
Where: San Siro, Milan, Italy
When: Thursday, November ۱۲, at ۸:۴۵pm (۱۹:۴۵ GMT).
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sport will bring you all the build-up from ۱۶:۴۵ GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream
Italy host France for a heavyweight Nations League clash as they meet in the penultimate group stage game.
Under Roberto Mancini, who is back in his second stint in charge of the Azzurri, Italy lost their first group game ۲-۰ to Belgium but subsequently recorded thumping wins over Turkiye and got an impressive draw in Paris.
Italy, who travel to Belgium for their final group game on Sunday, sit second in the group – one point ahead of the Belgians but three adrift of France.
Zinedine Zidane, who took over as France coach from Didier Deschamps after the ۲۰۲۶ World Cup, led Les Bleus to a ۱-۰ win in Turkiye, and victories over Belgium home and away – including a ۴-۱ thrashing in Paris.
Zidane certainly has plenty of history with Italy as a player; he spent five seasons with Juventus and famously got a red card after headbutting Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the ۲۰۰۶ World Cup final.
France, who host Turkiye in their final group game on Sunday, can secure their quarterfinal spot with victory over Italy.
Mbappe misses France training ahead of Italy clash
France captain Kylian Mbappe did not take part in team training on Wednesday and remained “under treatment” ahead of his country’s Nations League match against Italy, Les Bleus’ coaching staff said.
The French staff did not provide any further details regarding the ۲۷-year-old’s physical condition.
The Real Madrid forward is back in the France squad for this camp after missing their last three matches through injury.
Mbappe scored the winning goal in Zidane’s first match as coach against Turkiye in September, but had to leave the pitch shortly afterwards due to pain in his left knee.
Mancini injects youth into the Italy setup
AC Milan forward Alphadjo Cisse earned his first Italy call-up after an impressive start to the season. The ۲۰-year-old has scored seven goals in ۱۲ games in his first season with Milan, including a hat-trick in the Europa League win over Red Bull Salzburg last month.
Cisse is one of four new faces among the ۳۱ players selected by Italy coach Roberto Mancini. Parma midfielder Simone Lontani, ۱۸, is included along with Como teenagers Mattia Liberali and Riccardo Cassano.
Liberali, ۱۹, scored in Como’s record-equalling ۹-۱ win over Lens in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Cassano, ۱۷, has yet to make his Como first-team debut. He and Lontani will train with the senior squad from Sunday before rejoining Italy’s under-۱۸ and under-۱۹ teams.
What happened in the last Italy vs France game?
Michael Olise scored a superb goal but France were held to a ۱-۱ draw by Italy on October ۲, ۲۰۲۶ in Zinedine Zidane’s first home game since being appointed coach of Les Bleus.
Four days after coming off the bench to score a stunning solo effort to give France a ۱-۰ win in Belgium, Bayern Munich star Olise again showcased his spectacular talent by smashing a shot in off the crossbar from a free kick early in the second half.
However, Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni equalised for Italy midway through the second half to prevent Zidane from making it three wins out of three in charge of his country.
What have the coaches said?
Mancini: “In football, results change everything, but we still need to work, raise the bar and improve as a team; results are not enough.”
“I like that we are building a group of young players, along with some experienced ones who aren’t here now because they have issues. We played some good games and they are building a nice bond.”
Zidane: [on the death of Tenerife’s Jesus de Miguel after an on-pitch collision] “I’m saddened by what happened, deeply affected. It even gives me goosebumps, because you never want to see something like that on a football pitch.
“Above all, I feel sad for the family. I hope I never see anything like that again on a football pitch for the rest of my life.”
Predictions
The Opta supercomputer has made France the favourites, with a win probability of ۴۷.۴ percent.
Italy were given a ۲۸.۳ percent chance of winning, while a draw was estimated at a ۲۴.۳ percent likelihood.
Head-to-head
- Previous matches: ۴۲
- Italy wins: ۲۰
- Draws: ۱۰
- France wins: ۱۲
Last five encounters:
- October ۲, ۲۰۲۶: France ۱-۱ Italy (Nations League)
- November ۱۷, ۲۰۲۴: Italy ۱-۳ France (Nations League)
- September ۶, ۲۰۲۴: France ۱-۳ Italy (Nations League)
- June ۱, ۲۰۱۸: France ۳-۱ Italy (Friendly)
- September ۱, ۲۰۱۶: Italy ۱-۳ France (Friendly)
Italy’s team news
Roma defender Gianluca Mancini has withdrawn from the squad with a muscular injury, so Juventus’s Federico Gatti has been called up to replace him.
Italy are also missing Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Giacomo Raspadori and Moise Kean due to injuries.
Predicted starting XI:
Donnarumma (goalkeeper); Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Barella, Tonali, Doumbia; Vergara, Pio Esposito, Sebastiano Esposito
France’s team news
Mbappe is the big concern for France as he undergoes treatment for an unspecified problem.
William Saliba, Maghnes Akliouche, Ousmane Dembele, Manu Kone, Pierre Kalulu and Esteban Lepaul have all been ruled out with injuries.
However, Les Bleus will welcome back Real Madrid’s Ibrahima Konate and Aurelien Tchouameni, who missed out on the last round of games due to injuries. Dayot Upamecano returns from suspension to bolster the defence.
Predicted starting XI:
Maignan (goalkeeper); Gusto, Jacquet, Upamecano, Truffert; Cherki, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Doue, Mbappe
