France and Italy clash in Group B of the UEFA Nations League with both teams looking to bounce back from disappointing showings at the European Championship.
France often come out on top in this fixture and with Italy looking unconvincing lately, a home win is expected here.
France are former champions of the UEFA Nations League having won the second edition back in 2021. They failed to get into the finals last time out, finishing third in League A1 and will be keen to do better this year.
Although they progressed to the semi-finals of the European Championship in the summer, France were not at their best. Didier Deschamps' men could only pick up two regulation-time wins in six matches, but they will still feel confident heading into Friday’s clash in front of their fans.
Italy has been mostly downhill since winning Euro 2020 as they have struggled to make any mark in major tournaments. They did make it to the finals of the UEFA Nations League in 2023, finishing third after a 3-2 victory over the Netherlands.
Italy were one of the most disappointing teams at this summer’s European Championship as they failed to build on their Nations League showing. Luciano Spalletti’s men did not progress past the group stage after failing to secure a single win.
How the bookies view it: France highly fancied
France have been installed as overwhelming favourites among the bookies and are priced at 3/5 by Betfred to claim the win. A victory for Italy is valued at 4/1 while Betfred is offering 13/5 for a draw.
Recent head to head: France with advantage
France have claimed the upper hand in recent matches against Italy having won the last three fixtures. The most recent meeting was a friendly in 2018, which ended 3-1 in favour of the French.
Players to watch: Superior French attack
France struggled to show their attacking prowess at the Euros, with Kylian Mbappe nursing a broken nose. The Real Madrid forward will be keen to show his quality and alongside Antoine Griezmann, should help the French produce over 1.5 goals at 8/11 with Betfred.
Italy also have some attacking quality, with the likes of Mateo Retegui, Giacomo Raspadori and Lorenzo Pellegrini likely to feature. All three men can ensure the Italians produce over 0.5 goals at 4/7 with Betfred.
Probable line-ups
Veteran striker Olivier Giroud retired from the national team after the Euros, while Lucas Hernandez and Eduardo Camavinga are both out injured. Griezmann and Mbappe should feature in attack, while William Saliba will likely start in defence.
Italy have made several changes to the squad from the Euros with Federico Chiesa, Nicolo Barella and Jorginho not included While Sandro Tonali returns. Retegui is poised to feature in attack with Riccardo Calafiori expected to start at the back.
France: Maignan, Clauss, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez, Kante, Tchouameni, Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe, Kolo-Muani
Italy: Donnarumma, Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori, Dimarco, Tonali, Ricci, Pellegrini, Raspadori, Retegui, Kean
Anything else catch the eye?
France and Italy have some quality in attack, and both teams could be backed to score at 4/5 with Betfred. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at 5/6 with Betfred, who is also offering 9/4 for over 3.5 goals.
With France likely to come out on top, they could be backed to score in both halves at 8/5 by Betfred. Given the minimal odds for a straight victory for the French, a win and over 2.5 goals could be considered at 8/5 with Betfred.
This UEFA Nations League match between France and Italy will be played on Sep 6, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best France vs Italy prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
