France v Italy

France vs Italy Preview

Undoubtedly the most attractive fixture on matchday 1 of the upcoming UEFA Nations League competition features this upcoming clash between France and Italy when these two European heavyweights face off at the Parc des Princes with France still licking their wounds after a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals of the Euro 2024 finals, while Italy still continue to search for consistent results under coach Luciano Spalleti.

France seemed to lurch along in second gear during the recent Euro 2024 finals as Les Bleus made a meal of not only progressing out of the group stage of the competition but to also reach the semi-finals after producing far from convincing displays in the earlier knockout round games.

The hosts opened their account with a 1-0 victory over the eventual winners of Group D, Austria, but disappointing back-to-back stalemates with Netherlands 0-0 and Poland 1-1 suggested Didier Deschamps's side were not firing on all cylinders and were labouring in front of goal.

A 1-0 win against Belgium along with a win on penalties against Portugal saw France through to the semi-finals but Spain's appetite for goals outweighed France's seeming reluctance and they paid the price by losing 2-1.

However, the bigger picture still places France in a commanding position ahead of this upcoming clash with Italy as France have been handed just three defeats within their previous 20 internationals in all competitions, while collecting 13 wins in the process.

Italy also sneaked into the knockout rounds of the recent Euro 2024 finals after winning, drawing and losing in equal measure in the group stage after a 2-1 win against Albania followed by a 1-0 loss to Spain before steadying the ship with an important point gained by holding Croatia to a 1-1 draw.

The Azzurri's celebrations of reaching the knockout stage of the competition were short-lived however as Luciano Spalletti's side were dumped out of the tournament by Switzerland after being beaten 2-0 in the round of last 16 so it seems a case of back to the drawing board for the Italians as they continue to search for the golden formula.

That said, Italy had suffered just one defeat in their preceding 12 games in all competitions prior to the Euro 2024 finals which came in the form of a 3-1 loss away to England but also included picking up eight wins in the process as well, but results on the road have been largely disappointing in recent times as they have registered just one in in their previous seven outings.

France v Italy Verdict

France have won the last three meetings on the trot against Italy and Les Bleus should hold the upper hand once again in this encounter as well.

Therefore, our main bet will be France win @ 1.68

Other side bets worth considering:

France win & Over 2.5 goals @ 2.62

Correct Score: France 2-1 @ 8.50