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France vs Italy Preview: UEFA Nations League Lineups, Team News, Predictions & More (Ep. 451)
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The 2024-25 UEFA Nations League A Group 2 match between France and Italy takes place on Friday 6 September at 20:45 CET in Paris at the Parc des Princes. Carlo Garganese and Nima Tavallaey preview the big game. We look at the probable XIs, injuries and suspensions, and break down the game tactically before offering our predictions.
This is an extended clip from this week's free Monday episode of The Italian Football Podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google podcasts.
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Transcript
Nations League Format and Italy's Group
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Just before we finish off, though, with Celia, with Badgio, Premface and Celias of the week, um it's international break now and it is the start of the Nations League and it's Italy's first game since that Euro 2024 disaster. Italy are in Nations League Group A group two, Nations League A group two with France, Belgium and another team and the format is each team will play six matches within their group using the home and away round robin
Advancement and Relegation Rules
00:00:42
Speaker
format. and In September, October and November the winners and runners up of each group will go through to the quarter finals so there's an extra knockout round this this year and was just semi-finals last time in which only the group winners went through so
00:00:56
Speaker
winners and runners up go through the four third place teams of of the group will play against the four runners up of league b which is like the the the league below uh below were ours uh because we are in the top league and that will be for a relegation player to to avoid relegation to to league b um So so yeah that starts this week, and Italy playing against France in in Paris on on Friday. um So first of all,
00:01:28
Speaker
um
00:01:30
Speaker
This is Italy's first game since the disaster of Euro 2024.
Spalletti's Tactical Concerns
00:01:34
Speaker
Luciano Spelletti keeps his job. um you you I know that you're a little bit concerned, and I'm starting to feel that way now as well, um and and I'll explain why in a bit. um You're a little bit concerned about Spelletti, how long he's going to last in this job, aren't you? Yes, because as I said in our post-mortem Euros,
00:01:59
Speaker
if that you can't We can't keep doing this back and forth now. Either you play your system, your identity, your 4-3-2 or 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 hybrid, which you've been so successful with in your career, or you leave. Because, evidently, what we saw in the Euros is that you don't you're not comfortable with a 3-5-2-1 or a 3-4-2-1, and the players don't can't interpret it the way you want it to either.
00:02:28
Speaker
So either you do it your way or fully your way, or you don't. This is just a waste of time because now the this stuff that I've been hearing about him trying to do the three, five, like, no, it doesn't work. It clearly doesn't work. No, and I agree. And that's, that's the biggest, that's the reason why I am, I'm feeling a little bit,
00:02:57
Speaker
concerned and and know a bit I'm lacking enthusiasm a little bit for then for for this new Italy because I'm not sure if I see a new Italy if he's going to go with it. I just don't think he should go with a back three because it's not him. like i'm not saying that the back um it's not that i'm not so I'm not saying that the back three isn't the best system for the players that we have. I think there's definitely an argument to say that it is.
00:03:22
Speaker
but my my speech is what i want to play But my issue is that Spelletti has made his career not through playing a back three. so why would you why would you your you your It just defeats the whole concept of having Spelletti if he's going to play a back three.
00:03:39
Speaker
I don't know whether we're going to see the best of Spelletti if he's going to go. and then And then it's even worse if he's going to be flip-flopping between the systems.
Italy's Predicted Formation Against France
00:03:49
Speaker
That's even worse. But the squad that he's picked, and I'll read through the squad, suggests almost certainly that for this game against France, he's going to be going with a back three. So his squad is Don Aruma, Merritt, Vicario, goalkeepers, defenders, Bastoni, Belanova, Buongiorno, Calafiori, Cambiasso, Di Lorenzo, Di Marco, Gatti, Ocoli from Leicester.
00:04:08
Speaker
Udoji, midfielders Prischenini, Fagioli, Fratesi, Pellegrini, Ricci, Tonali, and attackers, four attackers only, Kean, Raspadori, Retigui, Zakhani. So the new players are Okoli, first call up,
00:04:24
Speaker
Pretty bizarre, ah in my opinion, because he's not even been regular for Leicester this season. Odorji, Brescinini, Tonali's back from his betting ban, and Moisakine returns. Dropped from Euro 2024 squad, Damián Mancini, Cristante Forunco, Barrella, because he's getting no surgery, otherwise he would be in. Giorginio Chiesa,
00:04:44
Speaker
el-harrawi and then the injuries are Berardi, Scaldini and Scamacco, those last two, of course, ACLs. And Naturbi, of course, isn't called up. And Naturbi as well. And there's there's no return for Locatelli, which is quite interesting, seeing as he started the season quite well. um So based on that squad, I think it's clear he's going to go with a back three for this game, and because there's only four four attackers, and only one winger.
00:05:08
Speaker
in his squad, and that's Zakhani, so I think it's pretty clear he's going to go 3-5-2 in this game. I hope he goes a 3-5-2. This is what I'm saying, I hope he goes with a 3-5-2. And I hope that you know he understands that, because I mean, let's remember, he did start his career playing a 3-5-2. I maintain still that the most important players in a Spaletti system is the midfield three, how he forms them.
00:05:39
Speaker
And the the the way that they go between a two and a one, like the four, three, three, four, two, three, one, that's the key in in a Spaletti system, the way I see it. I think he can still express the football he wants to do, but if you but by playing a formation, that is three, five, two, at least in the way it starts, because the formations are very fluid in football and especially in Spaletti system too, right?
00:06:03
Speaker
but The reason my point is, it's Spalletti who doesn't seem to believe in it, as we saw in the Euros. And if he doesn't believe in it, then he shouldn't do it. Unless, of course, he's changed his mind and now all of a sudden discovered three months later that, oh, actually, I can make you work in a back tree. But that's great. But just for the love of God, stop this fidgeting back and forth. Make a decision, stick to it and go with it.
00:06:29
Speaker
but no matter what anyone says. Yeah, I mean, I agree with that. I just again, I'm just concerned that that I don't, you know, the way that Spelletti's Spelletti plays and everything that we've seen in his career, he's in his mid sixties, you know, that's not his system.
00:06:44
Speaker
That isn't how he creates his football and his patterns and everything. It isn't with that system. I don't know whether we're going to see the real Spelletta using the back three. That is my concern. I'd rather him be true to himself. Be who he is. Play for the back four. Play your system. If you fail, you fail.
00:07:05
Speaker
but don't you know Use a system try to you know appease others if it's the media players or there's a bit of both and do a system and then you fail anyway It's just like well, what was the point you never gave yourself
France vs. Italy: Tactical Expectations
00:07:21
Speaker
a try? So that's much as a bit if I'm gonna go through the probable 11 then we're going to France is it's we're recording this on Monday So so, you know, we have to see what happens in training over the next few days.
00:07:30
Speaker
But I think it will be a back three. So, you know, in goal, we're probably looking at Donnarumma, unless he he wants to test out one of the others. Back three, we're probably looking at Di Lorenzo Buongiorno-Bastani. Calipari has not played much.
00:07:45
Speaker
at all for Arsenal, so I don't see him starting. um and ga Gatti could be rewarded for his Juventus form, he's been outstanding this season, he was and we should have said before he was outstanding in the Juventus game against Roma, it was Juventus' best player. But that's in a back four, not in a back three, so again, we're seeing the difference here. um The wing backs, i mean we're probably
00:08:08
Speaker
maybe Cambiaso and Odorce, if Spoletti is going to go forward with what he said at the end of the Euros was that he wants players that are more, you know, probably modern players with more energy, more intensity, then maybe he goes Odorce over DiMarco. I don't know, but so it'll be probably Cambiaso and Odorce or DiMarco.
00:08:28
Speaker
the midfield is a really difficult one. Tonali and Protesi have not played enough this season to to suggest that they should start in this game. so Logically, you're probably looking at three from Fagioli, Pedegrini, Ricci and Breccinini at Centre midfield, you'd think.
00:08:43
Speaker
um I would probably expect Fagioli to start because Spelletti likes him and he's been playing all of Juventus' games. um And then an attack, I think you're looking at two from Rettigy, Keenan and Raspadori. Rettigy and Keenan have started the season well in terms of goals, so maybe those maybe those two um to to to to start with. Obviously there is another game so he could mix things up. So it's it's a little bit uncertain right now what what the what the team will be, but I think we can probably safely say it will be a back three.
00:09:14
Speaker
um As for France, um I'll read through their squad. Ariola, Manon, Samba, goalkeepers, defenders, Klaus, Forfana, Chelsea, Hernández, Conate, Künde, Ferlan Mendy, Saliba, Upermicano, midfielders, Forfana, Milan, Kante, Kone,
00:09:32
Speaker
of Roma, Tuomeini, Anzea, Emery, and then forwards are bacola Barcola, Dembele, and he said Bacalada, Dembele, Griezmann, Muani, Mbappe, Olise, and Marcus to to Ram. The new players in the squad are Olise and Manouconic. The play is dropped from the Euros, Pavard, Koman,
00:09:52
Speaker
Rabio of course doesn't have a club and Giroud has retired from from international football. um so So yeah I mean the talking points are Mbappe is finally off the mark at Madrid in La Liga, he struggled a little bit at the start but he scored two at the weekend.
00:10:08
Speaker
And of course, Deschamps staying after, you know, I think it probably would have been time for France to move on, to be honest. He's been there for 12 years, but ah he's unmovable there for
France's Strategy and Squad Analysis
00:10:21
Speaker
for France. ah Possible start at 11, I think we're probably looking 433 or 4312 based on what we've seen recently from Deschamps. It depends on where the Griezmann starts. I mean, the defense, we're probably looking at Manon, Conde, Pomecano, Orconati alongside Saliba.
00:10:38
Speaker
Tell you, Hernandez may not start because... he hasn't really played that much enough for Milan so far this season. So I think Mendy and Madrid will start at left back. Then in midfield, you're probably looking at Tuomain, Iqante, and maybe one other, maybe Zeir Emery. Griezmann in the hole, and then Mbappe and Taram up front is probably what I would would would would predict, unless they go for a winger system, in which case um you take out Taram from the hole and either play, to sorry, take out Griezmann from the hole,
00:11:09
Speaker
and either play him in a centre midfield or you drop him altogether, in which case you have Mbappe and one of Dembele, Barcola or Elise on the wings. Barcola has been playing very good for PSG, so I'd probably predict he would start. And then Taram and Moani as the as a central striker.
Match Prediction: France vs. Italy Outcome
00:11:29
Speaker
so i've got enough I've got nothing to add to that. I do want to get a prediction off you though, Nimmo. What's your prediction for this game?
00:11:38
Speaker
it's not good i think it's not is it it's i'm sorry but i think they're gonna be torn apart italy i really do i think they're gonna be torn apart i think there's gonna be so much confusion like we saw in the euros i hope i'm wrong obviously god i'm hope i'm wrong but i'm i'm i'm scared that he's going to i'm scared italy are gonna get ripped apart two three nil Yeah, I think they'll lose. I don't think they will be torn apart for the reason that France generally don't destroy teams. It's just the way they play. I mean, Deschamps is a bit of the gar of self gate of French football, isn't he?
00:12:21
Speaker
It sounds like a horrible, horrible insult. I don't mean that in terms of success. I mean that in terms of just the way they play. They're very defensive and not defensive, but they're very methodical and and they're not that expansive and they they they don't really commit, over commit. And and also their midfield probably lacks creativity as well. The French football is really crying out for some some kind of technical creative ball play in sentiment fields, they're very much kind of runners, athletes. Whenever I see Upamikano in a Bayern Munich lineup or a France lineup, there's always a chance of talent they have. I'm immediately reminded of that meme of what's a polar bear doing in Texas. What is he doing there? He has no business in the squad, let alone in the lineup. I just don't think he's good enough. He is a blithering idiot.
00:13:15
Speaker
He really is. a with Headless chicken. He's so rash. like he can't there's no He just charges into things. If only Italy had class attackers to make to make the most of it. I'm going to say 2-0 France. 2-0 France. and I don't think they'll hammer Italy because it's like I said, just not how France played. It's not how France played. I hope so.
00:13:39
Speaker
yeah I hope so. You hope we only lose 2-0. No, I hope we don't get hammered. and That's why I hope. Yeah. Okay. Let's finish with BadJ, PremFace, and Sadia Ass of the Week.