Italy face France in the final matchday of Nations League Group A2 on Sunday night, with the Azzuri looking to secure top spot at the San Siro.
Luciano Spalletti’s side beat Belgium earlier in the week to consolidate their grip on first place, and they lead tonight’s opponents by three points ahead of kick-off.
France could only labour to a 0-0 draw with Israel last time out, so Les Bleus need a win – by a three-goal margin at least – in order to leapfrog the Italians.
Nevertheless, both sides are assured of a place in the competition’s quarter-finals, which take place in March, though neither is any the wiser about who they will play – the winner of the group will face one of the second-placed teams from one of the other ‘A’ groups.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game.
When is Italy vs France?
The match takes place on Sunday 17 November with kick-off set for 7.45pm GMT at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy.
Where can I watch the match?
The match will not be broadcast live in the UK, though fans wanting to watch it can see it online on YouTube, on the Viaplay International channel. Coverage starts at 7.35pm GMT.
If you want to stream major sporting events while you are travelling or watching from abroad you’ll need a VPN. Get the best VPN deals in the UK. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
What is the team news?
Neither side has any fresh injury concerns from their matches earlier in the week, though both are missing some key players from their squads this month.
Italy have lost Gianluca Scamacca to an ACL injury, so Mateo Retegui will likely start upfront again, with Nicolo Barella playing behind him.
Spaletti may well go for a back five (or back three) again, with Cambiaso and Dimarco as wing-backs and Sandro Tonali – who scored the winner against Belgium – starting in central midfield.
France are still without Kylian Mbappe, and with the retirement of Antoine Griezmann their side looks markedly different to how it did at Euro 2024.
Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez have cemented their place as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano started against Israel, though one of them could find themselves on the bench in favour of William Saliba.
In midfield, N’Golo Kante and Eduardo Camavinga remain the best options in a depleted squad, while Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola are likely to retain their places on each wing.
In attack, Marcus Thuram or Christopher Nkunku could replace Randal Kolo Muani.
Predicted line-ups
Italy XI: Donarumma; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno; Bastoni; Cambiaso, Frattesi, Rovella, Tonali, Dimarco; Barella, Retegui.
France XI: Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Upamecano, Hernandez; Kante, Camavinga; Olise, Zaire-Emery, Barcola; Thuram.
Odds
Italy 7/4
Draw 11/5
France 13/8
The Independent vets betting sites for useability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.
Prediction
France need a win if they’re to have any chance of winning the group, though they’d need to win by three goals to do so, and considering their performance against Israel that looks unlikely. Italy have been strong at home too, and even if they take their foot off the gas, expect it to be pretty close. Italy 1-1 France.
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
