France have won both matches under Zidane and are yet to concede: prediction for France — Italy
The UEFA Nations League third-round match between France and Italy will take place on October 2 at the Stade de France. Les Bleus have made a perfect start to the tournament with two wins and lead the group, while Italy, after losing to Belgium, thrashed Turkey 4-1 to claim their first three points.
France: a perfect start to the Zidane era
Zinedine Zidane began his tenure with the national team with two away wins. France first edged Turkey 1-0 thanks to a goal from Kylian Mbappé, then beat Belgium by the same scoreline — Michael Olise came off the bench to score the decisive goal.
As a result, France have six points and are yet to concede a goal. Mbappé picked up an injury against Turkey, however, so Zidane may once again turn to Ousmane Dembélé in attack.
Italy: a strong response after Mancini's disappointing debut
Roberto Mancini's return began with a 2-0 home defeat to Belgium, but Italy looked like a completely different team in the second round. They thrashed Turkey 4-1, scoring three goals before the break.
Michael Kayode stood out in particular, scoring on his international debut. Pio Esposito is also continuing to find his form — his goal against Turkey was his sixth in 11 appearances for the national team.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- France have won both of their opening Nations League matches 1-0.
- After losing to Belgium, Italy thrashed Turkey 4-1.
- In the previous Nations League edition, the teams exchanged 3-1 away wins.
The hosts can maintain their perfect start: prediction for France — Italy
Italy improved markedly in the second round and showed far more pace and aggression than they had against Belgium. However, the meeting with France will be a much sterner test for Mancini's revamped side.
France have not been spectacular so far, but they have been highly reliable and disciplined. Even without Mbappé, Zidane has enough options in attack to exploit Italy's defensive problems.
