France vs Italy: A New Zidane Era Meets an Italian Response

France enter this third-round meeting at the top of Group A1 with six points from two matches, while Italy arrive with three points after recovering from their opening defeat to Belgium with a 4-1 victory over Türkiye.
That contrast gives the Stade de France encounter a clear competitive shape: France can strengthen their position at the summit, while Italy have the opportunity to close the gap on the leaders.
Zinédine Zidane has begun his France tenure with consecutive 1-0 victories against Türkiye and Belgium, and UEFA’s match preview identifies the unbeaten start as one of the central storylines of Matchday 3.
Roberto Mancini’s Italy have followed a very different path, losing 2-0 to Belgium before producing four goals in Bursa, with Francesco Pio Esposito among the young players who made an impression.
The historical rivalry adds another layer, with UEFA recording 12 France victories, nine draws and 20 Italy wins across their meetings, although the current Nations League form belongs to two sides still developing under new coaching cycles.
Friday’s match therefore arrives less as a continuation of an established tactical identity and more as a test of how quickly two changing teams can impose their ideas against elite opposition.

France’s attacking structure will be different without Kylian Mbappé, but the confirmed XI places Ousmane Dembélé through the middle with Michael Olise and Désiré Doué alongside him.
Rayan Cherki, Lucas Da Cunha and Adrien Rabiot form the midfield selected by Zidane, giving France a combination of ball progression, technical quality and freedom between the lines.
Italy respond with a front three of Moise Kean and the Esposito brothers, Francesco Pio and Sebastiano, while Davide Frattesi, Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Fagioli provide the midfield platform behind them.
Michael Kayode keeps his place at right-back after his strong debut against Türkiye, while Giorgio Scalvini returns to the starting defensive unit alongside Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori.
The tactical question is how Italy’s front three will attack a French defence that has not conceded in either of its first two Nations League matches, while France must deal with an Italian side that demonstrated much greater attacking output in Bursa.
The confirmed selections also underline the different balance each coach has chosen: Zidane gives France considerable attacking freedom, while Mancini combines experienced midfielders with a youthful and aggressive forward line.

The injury picture has already influenced both squads, with France missing several established names and Italy also arriving without a number of players who were originally part of the international plans.
For France, Mbappé was ruled out after the knee problem suffered against Türkiye, while Ibrahima Konaté and Warren Zaïre-Emery were also among the players who declared themselves unavailable before the current fixtures.
Italy have lost Giacomo Raspadori after FIGC medical examinations confirmed he would miss the upcoming matches, while Nicolò Zaniolo, Federico Dimarco and Bryan Cristante were also ruled unavailable during the international camp.
None of the current official federation material reviewed establishes a separate long-term/IR category for these absences, so no player has been placed into that category rather than inventing a designation.
The confirmed lineups nevertheless show that neither side has approached the match purely conservatively, with France naming Dembélé, Olise and Doué and Italy selecting Kean alongside both Esposito brothers.
That makes availability an important part of the pre-match picture, but the published selections indicate that both coaches have still chosen attacking options rather than simply reshaping their teams around the absentees.

The pre-match comments have also pointed toward a contest between France’s developing possession game and Italy’s determination to test itself against the group leader.
Zidane said France were prepared for the third match and stressed that there was no distinction between an A, B or C team when explaining his selection choices.
Dembélé described similarities between Zidane’s France and the attacking freedom he experiences at club level, while also stressing that the team wants the ball and intends to play on its strengths.
Mancini, speaking ahead of the match, acknowledged that France are further along in their development but said Italy want to make a strong impression at the Stade de France.
Alessandro Bastoni likewise stressed that Italy were not travelling simply to participate, reflecting the squad’s stated intention to challenge France rather than treat the match as a learning exercise.
The press-room message is therefore centered on development, response and identity rather than predictions, with France defending a perfect opening record and Italy trying to carry the confidence of their 4-1 win into a much more demanding setting.

🚑 Current Injury & Availability Report

France

No separate long-term / IR absence is officially identified in the current federation information reviewed.

Italy

No separate long-term / IR absence is officially identified in the current FIGC information reviewed.

📋 Named Starting Sides & Key Personnel

France — Confirmed Starting XI

Italy — Confirmed Starting XI

📰 What the Pre-Match Conversation Is Focusing On

• UEFA’s Matchday 3 preview highlights France’s perfect opening record under Zidane and Italy’s renewed confidence after the 4-1 victory in Türkiye.
• Zidane has emphasized that the selection is about using the available players effectively rather than separating the squad into fixed levels.
• Ousmane Dembélé has spoken about the attacking freedom Zidane gives his forwards and the team’s desire to control the ball.
• FIGC’s pre-match material presents the France fixture as a major examination for Italy after the response against Türkiye, with Bastoni stressing that the Azzurri have the quality to compete.