France vs Italy: UEFA Nations League – Zidane, Olise, Esposito, teams, form

What the report says

France and Italy meet in a UEFA Nations League Group A1 match on Friday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, with Al Jazeera reporting that it will be Zinedine Zidane’s first home game as France coach. Zidane, appointed in late July after Didier Deschamps, has already started with two away wins and will be aiming for a third straight victory in front of what is expected to be a near-capacity crowd.

The article says France lead the group with six points after 1-0 wins over Turkiye and Belgium, while Italy are on three points after a loss to Belgium and a 4-1 win over Turkiye. France also won the teams’ last Nations League meeting in Milan in November 2024, 3-1. The broader competition, created in 2018, is designed to replace some friendlies with more meaningful matches and a promotion-relegation structure.

Kylian Mbappe is unavailable for France because of injury, along with Warren Zaire-Emery and suspended midfielder Matteo Guendouzi. Al Jazeera highlights Michael Olise and Desire Doue as France players to watch, while Italy’s Francesco Pio Esposito and Davide Frattesi are named as key figures. Italy, coached by Roberto Mancini, are reported to have a fully fit squad.

The match is also notable for its symbolism: Zidane’s return to the French dugout at the national stadium comes about 20 years after his famous headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final era, adding extra attention to an already important early-season European fixture.