Italy host France in the penultimate round of UEFA Nations League Group A1 at San Siro in Milan. The match is scheduled for Thursday, November 12, at 8:45pm local time (19:45 GMT), with Al Jazeera Sport starting build-up at 16:45 GMT before live text commentary. The fixture carries immediate group consequences: Italy need to protect second place, while France can seal a quarterfinal spot with a win.
Key Takeaways: Italy sit second in the group, one point ahead of Belgium and three behind France. France can secure qualification for the quarterfinals by beating Italy; Kylian Mbappe remained under treatment and did not train fully on Wednesday. Roberto Mancini has named four new faces, including AC Milan forward Alphadjo Cisse.
Italy’s campaign under Mancini, in his second spell, has been uneven: a 2-0 loss to Belgium, emphatic wins over Turkiye and an impressive draw in Paris. France under Zidane, who replaced Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup, beat Turkiye 1-0 and defeated Belgium home and away, including a 4-1 rout in Paris. Yet the early results do not remove doubts: France’s attacking depth depends heavily on Mbappe’s fitness, and Italy’s consistency remains unproven before a final trip to Belgium.
France’s coaching staff said Mbappe, 27, did not take part in team training on Wednesday and remained “under treatment”; no further details were provided about his physical condition. The Real Madrid forward is back in the France squad after missing three matches through injury. He scored the winner in Zidane’s first match against Turkiye in September but had to leave the pitch shortly afterwards because of pain in his left knee. For Italy, AC Milan forward Alphadjo Cisse earned his first call-up after seven goals in 12 games in his first season with Milan, including a hat-trick in a Europa League win over Red Bull Salzburg. Mancini selected 31 players, including four new faces: Parma midfielder Simone Lontani, 18, and Como teenagers Mattia Liberali, 19, and Riccardo Cassano, 17. Liberali scored in Como’s record-equalling 9-1 Champions League win over Lens, while Cassano has yet to make his Como first-team debut.
On October 2, 2026, in Zidane’s first home game as France coach, Michael Olise scored a superb free-kick early in the second half, but Inter Milan defender Alessandro Bastoni equalised midway through the second half to hold France to a 1-1 draw. Mancini said: “In football, results change everything, but we still need to work, raise the bar and improve as a team; results are not enough.” He added that Italy are building a group of young players alongside experienced ones who are absent because of issues. Zidane, asked about the death of Tenerife’s Jesus de Miguel after an on-pitch collision, said he was deeply affected and saddened for the family, adding that he hopes never to see anything like it again.
A win over Italy could guarantee France a quarterfinal place, while a defeat or draw would leave the group race unresolved until the final round. Italy travel to Belgium on Sunday, while France host Turkiye. The main uncertainty before kickoff remains Mbappe’s condition: until an official decision is announced, the true capacity of France’s attack remains in question.
Source: www.aljazeera.com