Italy vs France Preview

Italy and France will renew their rivalry this Sunday when both sides meet at the San Siro for the last game of their Nations League Group (A2).

Both sides have a history in competitive action having famously met in the FIFA World Cup final in 2006. Italy won that game thanks to a penalty shootout win that was arguably made easier after Zinedine Zidane’s direct red card for headbutting Italy’s Marco Materazzi.

There have been more important meetings between both sides in the past than these though, with this game just necessary to decide who tops the group. Both these sides are already through to the quarter-final stage but it’s Italy who currently have the advantage as far as topping the group goes after a 3-1 win in the reverse fixture, meaning they will claim top spot if they avoid defeat to France by two goals or more.

Recent form suggests that it should be fairly straightforward for the hosts, who are been unbeaten in their last five games (W4, LD1). However, the last five meetings between both sides on Italian soil puts France as the favourites, with Italy winless in that period (D2, L3).

Still, a 1-0 away win against Belgium on Thursday should instil some belief that they can end that poor H2H run, while an unbeaten record in Nations League home action (W4, D6) would suggest they’ve got what it takes to claim top spot in their group for the third Nations League campaign running.

Meanwhile, France travel to Milan on the back of a goalless draw with Israel, their fourth-straight game without tasting defeat (W3, D1). They will now hope to finish their Nations League group stage in style with a win over Italy.

Doing so here is not something they should be able to do, as, despite their tepid showing against Israel, France has actually won both of their away games in this Nations League cycle. It’s worth noting, though, that only one of France’s historical Nations League away wins came by a margin big enough to ensure they’d top the group here, and given none of their last five such games saw them keep a clean sheet, they’ll likely have to do it the hard way.