Italy hosts France at San Siro on Thursday, November 12, at 20.45 local time for the fifth matchday of the UEFA Nations League, with 51,000 tickets issued for the fixture, according to the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio.
The fixture marks the final home group match for the Azzurri in the tournament. La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the team enters the contest holding seven points from four matches.
“All’inizio sembrava insperato arrivare all’ultima giornata del girone ancora in corsa, invece eccoci qua”, said head coach Roberto Mancini.
Mancini spoke to reporters in a press conference at San Siro, expressing satisfaction with his squad’s progress following a 1-1 draw against France on October 2 at the Stade de France.
Mancini defended his reliance on emerging talent during a transitional phase for the national team.
“Tutti si lamentano che non giocano mai, noi cercheremo di chiamarli e speriamo di azzeccarli”, Mancini told reporters, adding that club managers frequently hesitate to field younger prospects in domestic competition.
Mancini confirmed he still retains doubts regarding his attacking lineup for Thursday evening.
Virgilio reported that France will travel without Kylian Mbappé and Marcus Thuram.
“Se pure Olise prende un raffreddore, per noi va fin troppo bene”, Mancini joked to La Gazzetta dello Sport, before advising that Mbappé should avoid taking unnecessary risks ahead of club commitments with Real Madrid.
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma returns to San Siro amid past tensions with local supporters stemming from his departure from AC Milan.
“Gigio è un grande portiere e una persona straordinaria, non merita di essere contestato per vicende che risalgono a molto tempo fa”, Mancini told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Speriamo che stavolta arrivino gli applausi, non solo per Donnarumma ma per tutta la squadra.”
The FIGC said that Italy has dropped its last three matches at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, enduring defeats against Spain in October 2021 and Norway in World Cup qualifying, alongside a previous UEFA Nations League loss to France.
“Dite che a San Siro perdiamo da tre partite di fila ma io l’ultima volta qui ho vinto contro l’Inghilterra, quindi mi auguro che prevalga la mia tradizione”, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Defender Riccardo Calafiori accompanied Mancini to the pre-match press conference. The Arsenal center-back discussed the challenge posed by the French attack and his evolving role within the national team group.
“In effetti tra tanti giovani comincio a sentirmi vecchio”, Calafiori told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Diciamo semmai che in ogni partita provo a trascinare la squadra con i fatti, con le azioni più che con le parole.”
Calafiori highlighted French winger Michael Olise as a primary defensive concern on the flank. “Olise è uno di quei campioni che è impossibile studiare, perché sanno sempre inventare qualcosa di nuovo”, he said to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The fixture kicks off on Thursday, November 12, at 20.45 CET at Stadio San Siro in Milan.
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