Italy hosts France at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza this Thursday, November 12, for the fourth round of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
France currently lead the group with 10 points from four matches, having recorded three wins and one draw. Italy, meanwhile, sit in second place with seven points from four games, with two wins, one draw, and one defeat.
Below is the key information you need to know ahead of this match.
Italy vs. France Match Details & Form
Kickoff: 3:45 pm ET / 12:45 pm PT @ Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan
How to watch live: Streaming on FOX One, fuboTV and ViX
In their most recent Nations League matches, Italy defeated Turkey 3-1 on October 5, while France beat Belgium 4-1 the same day.
The Italian national team actually had mixed results during the September and October international breaks, recording just two wins, one draw, and one loss. Interestingly, both victories came against Turkey.
In addition, Italy defeated Turkey 4-1 on September 28.
Italy opened its Nations League group-stage campaign on September 25 with a 2-0 defeat to Belgium. They also drew 1-1 with France on October 2.
France, meanwhile, enjoyed a better start to the Nations League, going unbeaten in their first four matches with three wins and one draw.
In addition to the aforementioned victory over Belgium, France also recorded a 1-0 win against Turkey on September 25 and another 1-0 victory over Belgium on September 28, along with the previously mentioned 1-1 draw against Italy on October 2.
Italy Players to Watch
Beyond Italy’s best-known players, such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sandro Tonali, and Riccardo Calafiori, are there any others in particularly good form, at least at the international level?
Yes. There’s Inter Milan forward Francesco Pio Esposito, who recorded a goal and an assist in the 4-1 victory over Turkey on September 28. And midfielder Alessandro Romano delivered a stellar performance in their most recent win over Turkey on October 5. Only 20 years-old, Cagliari Calico lad provided an assist and created two scoring opportunities. He recorded one shot on target, two defensive contributions, two passes into the final third, and five ball recoveries.
Nico Barella and Gianluca Scamacca were also among the standout performers that night.
France Players to Watch
France, meanwhile, has an undeniable arsenal of attacking talent capable of making a difference.
Several of those players stood out in their most recent 4-1 victory over Belgium, including Désiré Doué, who scored in the 77th minute, Rayan Cherki, who also found the net in the 81st minute, and Michael Olise, who scored a brace in the 88th and 90th minutes.
Alongside those players and familiar names such as Kylian Mbappé, Eduardo Camavinga, and Jules Koundé, among others, one recent call-up is particularly noteworthy. He has been in excellent form over the past few weeks, and not just with any club, but with two-time UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
We’re talking about Senny Mayulu, who, as announced by the French national team in a statement on social media, joined Zinedine Zidane’s squad on Wednesday afternoon.
Mayulu is certainly a player to keep an eye on. At PSG, Luis Enrique has used him as a false nine, a winger, an attacking midfielder, and even a right-back, and he has delivered in every single one of those positions.
Match Prediction: Italy 1-3 France
Manuel Meza is a writer for Hooligan Soccer. He is a distinguished digital content creator specializing in soccer and NHL writing, SEO, and podcast production. With a B.A. in Business Administration from Instituto Tecnologico de Sonora, Manuel has honed his expertise in news writing, copywriting, digital journalism, social media, and community growth. His prolific work, including over 600 articles for Athlon Sports, established him as a key contributor to their early soccer coverage. He notably led coverage of Sunderland for Sports Illustrated, elevating it to the network’s top soccer site. Manuel’s insights have also graced Yardbarker, Roundtable Sports, The Sporting News, Inter Miami News, and MX Futbol. As a former Site Expert at FanSided, he generated over one million pageviews in a single month and has hosted the official Spanish-language Paris Saint-Germain FanFest. Connect with Manuel on X, LinkedIn, and Muckrack for his expert analysis and engaging content. Manuel is dedicated to delivering high-quality, insightful content that captivates and informs.
