France have begun the Zinedine Zidane era with a pair of 1-0 away wins against Turkey and Belgium.
Zizou returns to the scene of his greatest triumph for his first home game as Les Bleus manager on Friday, when Italy are the visitors to the Stade de France in UEFA Nations League Group A1.
It is more than 28 years since Zidane's first-half double helped France beat Brazil 3-0 to claim their first world title and the 54-year-old is hoping to lay the groundwork for an assault on the Euros in the summer of 2028.
France v Italy Tips Summary
Best Bet - Michael Olise first goalscorer @ 6/1
Alternative Bet - France to win & both teams to score @ 15/8
Bet Builder - France to win, Over 2 goals, Michael Olise to score, Riccardo Calafiori 2+ fouls @ 7/1
France v Italy Prediction
Best Bet: Michael Olise first goalscorer @ 6/1
Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise will spearhead France's challenge for major international honours over the coming years, so it is perhaps fitting that the superstar duo's goals have ensured Zidane's reign as national boss has got off to the perfect start.
Of course, 1-0 wins away to Turkey and Belgium are not going to get pulses racing just yet, but Zidane can be pleased with some aspects of Les Bleus' play.
An injury to Mbappe will have soured things a little, however, so it will be interesting to see who Zidane turns to in his first game as manager on home soil.
Olise started against Turkey before coming off the bench to score the winner against Belgium on Monday, and the Bayern Munich star could take centre stage against Italy.
The former Crystal Palace man is making a fair claim to being the best player on the planet right now following a blistering start to the new season.
Olise has already scored eight goals for Bayern Munich this season, including a hat-trick in his last league game, a 7-0 romp over Union Berlin, and the 24-year-old could set Les Bleus on their way on Friday.
Alternative Bet: France to win & both teams to score @ 15/8
Zidane will have been pleased with France's clean sheets in his first two games at the helm but it is not as though Turkey and Belgium did not have chances.
Both sides had 12 shots in their respective 1-0 defeats to the French and Italy, who put four past Turkey on Monday, may be able to get on the scoresheet in Paris.
The Azzurri are a work in progress and can blow hot and cold, but they have been kept scoreless just once in 13 games since June 2025.
That was in a 2-0 defeat in Belgium last Friday but their previous games included a 5-4 win over Israel and 4-1 defeat to a decent Norway outfit in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
In addition, the pair shared a 3-1 win apiece in the 2024/25 Nations League.
France v Italy Bet Builder Tip
France to win
Over 2 goals
Michael Olise to score
Riccardo Calafiori 2+ fouls
Pays 7/1
Zidane should mark his home debut as France manager with victory and it could be an exciting evening at the Stade de France, where there may be at least three goals scored.
France ended the World Cup with an end-to-end 6-4 defeat to England in the Bronze final, while Les Bleus' summer campaign also featured a 3-1 win over Senegal, 4-1 beating of Norway and 3-0 triumphs against Iraq and Sweden.
Olise is fancied to take over as France's main man in Mbappe's absence and the Bayern Munich star, who has already scored nine goals for club and country this season, can be fancied to add to his tally against the Azzurri.
The 24-year-old may operate on the same flank as Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori.
The Arsenal left-back is a stout defender and was a key part of the Gunners' Premier League triumph last season, but he will have to be on his game to stop Olise.
Calafiori averaged 1.4 fouls per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season and there are few tougher jobs in world football right now than marking the elusive Olise.
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Key Match Stats
France have won 16 of their 20 international matches in the last 12 months
Les Bleus have kept five clean sheets in their last seven fixtures
Italy have failed to score in only one of their last 13 matches
The last four meetings between Italy and France have all ended 3-1, with both nations winning twice in that time
Both teams have scored in the last five meetings between these European heavyweights
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
