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France vs Italy Tips & Predictions – France to Keep Winning in the UEFA Nations League

vedran-ostojic
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Last updated: Wed 30 Sep 2026 21:26
France is widely anticipated to capitalize on Italy’s recent defensive lapses and secure valuable points in their upcoming matchup. However, a shutout is unlikely, given Italy's consistent goal-scoring record, having found the net in 12 out of their last 13 competitive fixtures. The key takeaway: expect an open, attacking contest where both teams are likely to score. Betting on both sides to hit the back of the net could be a strong recommendation for this encounter.
Vedran Ostojic 1 hour ago
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  • This will be the first home match for France under Zinedine Zidane
  • We are backing them to collect three points against Italy
  • Check our full preview for France vs Italy below
France have won 4 of their last 5 matches against Italy (Getty Images)

Italy allowed 34 shots and around 5.50 xG to the opposition in their opening two games, so I expect them to have a rough night against France. 

Key Stats  


  • France have won 9 of their last 11 matches. 
  • France have won 4 of their last 5 matches against Italy. 
  • France have seen BTTS in their last 5 matches against Italy. 
  • Italy have scored in 12 of their last 13 matches. 

116-Years-Old Rivalry 


Italy were more successful in previous h2h's, winning 20 out of 41 encounters while France won on 13 occasions. 

Two Narrow Wins for Les Bleus 


France failed to impress in Zinedine Zidane's debut last Friday but collected three points against Turkey with a 1-0 victory in Kocaeli with Kylian Mbappe finding the net right after the break (suffered an injury later though). 

A similar scenario and identical outcome were seen in the second round, also on the road against Belgium where Les Bleus got away with a 1-0 victory thanks to Michael Olise's late goal. 

France allowed 24 shots in total across these two encounters and almost 2.00 xG, so they were a bit lucky to keep their net intact. 

Mixed Results for Italy 


Roberto Mancini took over the national coach role this summer and Italy were tagged favorites in his debut against Belgium last week, but they lost the encounter 2-0 in Rome due to awful defending (allowed 8 shots on target and 2.76 xG). 

Azzurri bounced back though and earned a convincing 4-1 victory against Turkey in Izmir last weekend. Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode found the net in the first half, while Francesco Pio Esposito finished the job later. 

Despite victory, Italy once again had a lot of defensive problems. Turkey missed three big chances, had 2.88 xG and fired 15 shots total. 

Team News & Predicted Lineups 


France (4-3-3) Mike Maignan; Pierre Kalulu, Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix, Adrien Truffert; Rayan Cherki, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue

With Kylian Mbappe sidelined through a knee injury alongside unavailable defenders Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba, France will likely turn to Ousmane Dembele to lead the attack flanked by Michael Olise and Desire Doue.

Italy (4-3-3) Gianluigi Donnarumma; Michael Kayode, Gianluca Mancini, Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori; Nicolo Barella, Nicolo Fagioli, Sandro Tonali; Sebastiano Esposito, Pio Esposito, Nicolo Cambiaghi

Visitors are missing Giacomo Raspadori due to a fresh injury, while welcoming back Nicolo Barella and Gianluca Mancini which should be a big boost in terms of experience.

Verdict

I am confident France will exploit Italy's poor defending and collect points here, but not with a clean sheet. Azzurri have found the net in 12 of their last 13 contests across competitions. 

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vedran-ostojic
Vedran Ostojic

Sports Editor • 10+ Years Of Experience in Football, Basketball, Handball & Volleyball

Vedran is a passionate sports enthusiast and covers European football, basketball, volleyball and handball.


With a particular love for the English Premier League, he's been writing about sports online for more than a decade since completing a degree in literature and sports journalism.
 
The primary areas of focus include top European football leagues (mainly EPL, La Liga, Serie A & Bundesliga), basketball (EuroLeague, NBA & WNBA), Handball and Volleyball.

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