
The Blues can qualify for the quarter-finals on Thursday, without Kylian Mbappé or Ousmane Dembélé
AI-generated summary
The French team had already faced Italy at the Stade de France a month earlier, a match ending in a 1-1 draw. France still has to play Turkey on Sunday after this match against Italy.
Episode five of the Zinédine Zidane era. The France team meets Italy on Thursday, November 12, in the group stage of the Nations League. A little over a month after the draw (1-1) against Squadra Azzurra at the Stade de France, the Blues have the opportunity to validate their qualification for the quarter-finals of the competition even before the last day.
• Qualification objective for the quarters. It's simple: a draw or a victory would certainly qualify the Blues for the next round of this League of Nations, while there will still be one match to play against Turkey on Sunday.
• The Blues must do without Kylian Mbappé. He left the first rally of the Zidane era prematurely, and sees the Blues once again composing without him up front. Without its captain or Ousmane Dembélé, France must find other solutions up front, like Désiré Doué or Bradley Barcola.

The Norwegian government announced on Thursday, November 12, the entry ban on Russian and Belarusian professional athletes for sports competitions, a few hours after a similar measure by Finland, as long as the war in Ukraine continues.

Antoine Dupont will play at the opening against the Springboks, double reigning world champions, due to the withdrawals of Ntamack, Jalibert, Ramos and Hastoy at number 10. Fabien Galthié preferred him to Maxime Lucu and justified this tactical choice at a press conference.

France opened the scoring in the 10th minute thanks to Michael Olise, before Italy equalized in the 26th minute through Pio Esposito, during the Nations League match in Milan.

Le Havre, last in the standings with six points behind the first non-relegation place, has appointed Valérien Ismaël coach until the end of the season. This appointment follows the dismissal of Didier Digard and the departures of president Jean-Michel Roussier and sports director Demba Ba, in a troubled climate behind the scenes.

France opened the scoring against Italy in the 10th minute in Milan during the fifth day of the Nations League. Michael Olise scores after a failed restart from Gigio Donnarumma, who unintentionally serves the Bayern winger. Olise then eliminates Alessandro Bastoni to score (0-1).

Before the Italy-France Nations League match at San Siro, part of the Italian public whistled the Marseillaise. Italian players, including Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, applauded the French anthem. Adrien Rabiot and Mike Maignan started for France.