Zinedine Zidane gets his first taste of a Nations League home game in charge of France on Friday, and it comes against a dangerous opponent. France and Italy collide at the Stade de France in a high-stakes Group A1 clash. Kick-off is 8:45 p.m. local time (2:45 p.m. ET). Zidane’s side sit top of the group with a perfect six points from two matches since he took over from Didier Deschamps this summer, while Roberto Mancini’s Italy have three points after bouncing back from an opening 2-0 defeat to Belgium with a convincing 4-1 win over Turkey. For a coach who waited years for this job, a win on home soil would be a true statement for Zidane.
Zidane’s Home Debut: France vs Italy Team News
France will again be without Kylian Mbappé, who suffered a hyperextension of the posterior capsule in his left knee while scoring the winner against Turkey and is expected to miss at least 10 to 12 days, ruling him out of this match and France’s next game against Belgium too. Ibrahima Konaté is also out with a knee ligament injury, with uncapped Leny Yoro called up as cover, while William Saliba remains sidelined with a back issue, which explains why Maxence Lacroix has kept his place alongside Dayot Upamecano. With Mbappé out, Ousmane Dembélé is expected to lead the line, flanked by Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Désiré Doué in a fluid attacking group, with Adrien Rabiot and Manu Koné anchoring midfield.
Italy arrive with real momentum after dismantling Turkey, led by Pio Esposito, who has scored six goals in just 11 international appearances and remains the team’s most dangerous attacking threat. Giacomo Raspadori has been officially withdrawn from the squad after medical evaluations, while Mancini is expected to recall several regulars who were rested in Turkey, including Nicolò Barella and Gianluca Mancini. Alessandro Bastoni and Sandro Tonali anchor a solid spine, but Mancini faces a significant step up in quality against the hosts.
Prediction: Can Italy Spoil Zidane’s Home Debut?
Italy’s 4-1 thrashing of Turkey was an impressive response and showed real attacking fluency under Mancini. The two sides also have recent history working in Italy’s favor, having beaten France 3-1 in the group stage of the 2024-25 Nations League. Still, even without Mbappé, France haven’t conceded a goal under Zidane through two matches, and Les Bleus possess superior depth and individual quality across the pitch. At home, with confidence high and a crowd eager to see Zidane’s first win in Paris, France should control the key moments. Prediction: France 3-1 Italy.
Predicted Lineups for France vs Italy
France (possible, 4-2-3-1): Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Lacroix, Truffert; Koné, Rabiot; Olise, Cherki, Doué; Dembélé
Italy (possible, 4-3-3): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Frattesi, Tonali, Barella; Kean, Esposito, Cambiaghi
These are projected starting XIs. Confirmed lineups will be updated when released, usually around one hour before kick-off.
How to Watch France vs Italy
| Region | Channel |
|---|---|
| USA | Fox Sports 1 (English), ViX (Spanish) |
| UK | Amazon Prime |
| Canada | DAZN |
| Australia | beIN Sports 3 |
| France | TF1 |
| Italy | RAI 1 |
Zidane’s Home Debut: France vs Italy Preview, Prediction & How to Watch