Five talking points from France's 3-1 loss to Italy in the UEFA Nations League
France began their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 3-1 defeat to Italy at the Parc des Princes on Friday (September 6). This was the 2006 World Cup winners' first competitive win over Les Blues since Euro 2008.
Despite an early goal (1') from Bradley Barcola to get the game off to an explosive start, Les Bleus were the inferior side in almost every measurable metric, losing out to a masterful Italian showing on the day. The match raised quite a few talking points — some a one-time occurrence while a few hinting at patterns that could foreshadow seismic shifts in the fates of both teams.
Five talking points from France vs Italy in the UEFA Nations League
William Saliba is capable of having a poor game
Arsenal defender Wiliam Saliba had an uncharacteristically poor outing for France against Italy in the Nations League opener. He was particularly exposed for the third goal in the game that killed off any hopes of salvaging a point for the hosts on the night. Saliba lost all three aerial duels he attempted and only won two out of four ground duels in the game, making him a joy to face.
Despite this, the 23-year-old's fundamentals remain pristine. It is a testament to his reputation and ability that he completed the most passes (77) and recovered possession nine times from 86 touches in one of his poorer showings.
Luciano Spalletti starting to click for Italy
The former Napoli boss did not enjoy the best of times at Euro 2024, with his Azzuri team having the feel of a joke missing the punchline at the tournament in Germany. Italy had no such problems against France on Friday and their performance will send a warning to the sides they will face in the Nations League.
The visitors had double the shots on target (6) their hosts managed (3) despite falling behind early. They also created five big chances in the game. The Italian tactician put on a masterclass in transitional play and reaped the rewards with a comfortable scoreline.
Kylian Mbappe continues to look solid but not stellar
Kylian Mbappe will have to live with the weight of expectations for the rest of his career no matter how unfair that might be to him personally. The Frenchman never lets those expectations fall flat but rather offers a canter when the crowd expects a full gallop.
The Real Madrid star gave a fine account of himself against Italy, completing 40 passes and testing Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, he lost six duels in the match and simply did not take the Nations League opener by the scruff of the neck like a player of his quality is expected to for France.
France is in poor form
Before their loss to Italy in this Nations League game, Les Bleus' last competitive win came on July 1 against Belgium in the round of 16 of Euro 2024. They have also managed only two goals from open play in their last eight fixtures, both coming in their last two games that ended in defeats.
The 2018 World Cup winners often look tedious to watch and bereft of ideas in attacking positions. Didier Deschamps has a task on his hands ahead of France's next game on September 9 if the team ranked second in the world wants to recover from what looks to be the opening salvo of a slump.
Watch out for Italy
Italy have the core of a fabulous side on their hands at the moment, with technical ability and industry in abundance. The victory over France was not a fluke. Few 3-1 wins count as flukes and other teams in the Nations League will do well to take notice.
While Luciano Spalletti has been singled out for praise, the personnel at his disposal are incredibly talented and at the right age to kick on and begin a new renaissance for Italian football. Giovanni Di Lorenzo is the only player over 30 in this team, with every other player to take the pitch between 22 and 28. Given the right guidance, this should be a fabulous team to watch for years to come