France vs Italy Preview

France and Italy will renew their football rivalry this Thursday when both sides meet at the Parc des Princes for their first game of the 2024/25 Nations League campaign.

This is France’s first game since their painful semi-final defeat to Spain at the European Championships. They will be looking to start well here as they attempt to win a second Nations League title.

Although this competition carries less prestige than the European Championships and World Cup, it does hold sentimental value for the hosts, who boast the record of being the first nation to win the World Cup, the European Championship and the Nations League, thanks to their success in 2021.

Ahead of this round of games, manager Didier Deschamps has called up two new faces, with Roma’s Manu Koné and Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise both selected. The introduction of those new faces might help to freshen France up on this stage given their dour record in this competition since lifting the trophy in 2021 (W1, D2, L3).

Meanwhile, Italy travel to France looking to restore some of their lost pride as a footballing nation. The Azzuri have been a shadow of themselves since winning the 2020 European Championship.

Luciano Spaletti’s side crashed out at the last 16 stage in this summer’s European Championship, while they’ve missed out altogether on the last two World Cups. A win here could set them on their way, at least boosted by being able to call upon Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, who is back after serving a ten-month suspension.

Although Italy head to Paris in dour form having not won any of their last three games (D1, L2), they’ve historically tended to produce some strong form in the league phase of this tournament. The 2006 World Cup winners have tasted defeat in just two of 16 matches at this stage of the Nations League (W7, D7). They also won the last competitive H2H between the two, although that came 16 years ago, back in 2008 (2-0).