Italy and France meet in a crucial UEFA Nations League A group 1 fixture as the top two teams in the table go head to head in a bid to have the top spot.
Italy vs France – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, 12th November.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: San Siro, Milan.
Italy team news
Roberto Mancini faces significant squad disruptions ahead of Italy’s UEFA Nations League clash against France at San Siro. The Azzurri are without several regulars due to injury, including defenders Gianluca Mancini and Giovanni Di Lorenzo, alongside forwards Moise Kean and Giacomo Raspadori.
Additionally, Nicolò Zaniolo withdrew from the international camp for personal reasons. To bolster his defensive options following Gianluca Mancini’s absence, the manager called up Juventus centre-back Federico Gatti as cover.
While finalising his 23-man matchday squad, Mancini also dropped six players from the travelling party, notably leaving out promising youngsters Alphadjo Cissé and Mattia Liberali.
Furthermore, Italy must manage a disciplinary tightrope against Les Bleus. Five players in the matchday squad—Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolò Fagioli, Antonio Vergara, and Gianluca Scamacca—are just one yellow card away from a suspension that would rule them out of Sunday’s crucial fixture against Belgium.
France team news
Zinedine Zidane is navigating a severe injury crisis across every department ahead of France’s trip to Milan. Captain Kylian Mbappé is a major doubt after missing Wednesday’s training session with a hamstring issue, and he is expected to miss out or start on the bench to stay fresh for Sunday’s game against Türkiye.
In attack, France is already missing Ousmane Dembélé, Marcus Thuram, Hugo Ekitiké, and Esteban Lepaul. Midfield options are equally stretched, as Aurélien Tchouaméni left camp after aggravating a right adductor injury, joining Manu Koné on the sidelines.
The defence is hit hardest, with William Saliba, Jules Koundé, Pierre Kalulu, and Maxence Lacroix all unavailable.
While Dayot Upamecano returns from suspension to provide a welcome boost at centre-back, Zidane has turned to youth to fill the gaps, handing maiden senior call-ups to Eli Junior Kroupi, Saël Kumbedi, and Senny Mayulu.
Form
Italy
Italy enters this clash second in Group A1 with seven points, showing strong attacking form despite failing to keep a clean sheet. After opening their campaign with a disappointing 2–0 home defeat to Belgium in September, Roberto Mancini’s side rebounded emphatically. They thrashed Türkiye 4–1 away, earned a hard-fought 1–1 draw against France in Paris, and beat Türkiye 3–1 at home. Overall, the Azzurri have won four of their last six internationals across all competitions.
France
France sits atop Group A1 unbeaten with ten points, enjoying a smooth transition under new manager Zinedine Zidane. Les Bleus kicked off their campaign with consecutive 1–0 away victories against Türkiye and Belgium in September. In October, they were held to a 1–1 draw by Italy in Paris before bouncing back with a dominant 4–1 home triumph over Belgium. With 36 goals scored in 2026, France brings formidable momentum to Milan.
Predicted lineups
Italy: Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Barella, Tonali, Frattesi; S. Esposito, P. Esposito, Cambiaghi
France: Maignan; Gusto, Jacquet, Upamecano, Truffert; Cherki, Da Cunha, Rabiot; Olise, Doue, Barcola
How to watch Italy vs France?
In the UK, you can watch Italy vs. France live exclusively via Amazon Prime Video’s pay-per-view (PPV) service.
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