Three things we learned as France pip Italy in Nations League | OneFootball

France took revenge for their 3-1 defeat to Italy at the Parc des Princes in September, beating the Nazionale 3-1 at the San Siro to top their UEFA Nations League group on goal difference.

Digne – digne de sa place

This will be France’s last international break without Lucas Hernandez, the first-choice left-back. The Paris Saint-Germain defender, recovered from knee surgery, is expected back in first-team training next week and, all being well, he will be at Clairefontaine come next March, as will his brother Lucas Hernandez. As a result, chances to accumulate credit in Didier Deschamps’ eyes will be limited for Lucas Digne. The Aston Villa defender has snuck ahead of the unfancied Ferland Mendy in the pecking order but with the prospect of potentially choosing just two left-backs, given the density of talent in Les Bleus’ set-up, Digne needed to make his mark at the San Siro.

He certainly did just that, carving himself a role as France’s set-piece specialist. Two of his crosses found the head of Adrien Rabiot, who did well to finish both expertly, whilst it was his free-kick, ultimately awarded as a Guglielmo Viacrio own goal, which earned Les Bleus’ second.

“I feel as though I’m playing the best football of my career,” said the Aston Villa defender earlier this month. Against Italy, he showed that, ensuring that, even though Lucas Hernandez will almost certainly re-claim his place, he will still occupy a place in Deschamps’ thoughts when naming his France squads going forward. Digne is digne de sa place, worthy of his place, in English.

A balance re-discovered

Unequivocally, the Warren Zaire-Emery as a No.10 experiment against Israel failed earlier this week. That choice came amid a struggle to re-discover balance in this midfield, which has been lacking since Euro 2024. Against Italy it was re-found, and it is no coincidence that it coincided with the return of Adrien Rabiot. It is the Olympique de Marseille midfielder’s two goals that will take the headlines but it was a complete performance.

His positioning was impeccable throughout, providing cover both in and out of possession. He is the kind of player whose presence is often felt most when he isn’t there and the past five games, without him, were case in point. His return is a welcome one for Deschamps, who has one of his most trusted soldiers back in the frame.

But it wasn’t just Rabiot. In the absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni, Manu Koné put in a combative performance in midfield, keeping things ticking, not taking risks and not exposing the defenders behind him. N’Golo Kanté won’t be around forever and so there is a spot to be claimed in the squad, even if not necessarily in the starting XI for now. Mattéo Guendouzi, a different type of player to Koné, also scored points and likely ensured his place in the next squad. So long as he keeps delivering when called upon, there is no reason why he won’t continue to play a functional role in this France set-up.

Papering over the cracks?

Whilst this was a night of positives, there are still question marks. All three of France’s goals against Italy came from set-pieces. From open play, Les Bleus looked much less threatening, struggling to unlock the Italian defence. Against Israel, there was a lack of technical quality on display in the final third as well as some questionable decision-making. There was a slight improvement on that performance in Milan but there is still a question of which players and which combination to deploy in this sector.

Christopher Nkunku, who has thus far taken his chances when called upon, had an off night in a free-floating No.10 role. Marcus Thuram is still looking for that match for France. At his own stadium, the Internazionale forward continues to show a huge gap in performance levels for club and country, whilst Randal Kolo Muani struggled to get in the game, losing possession 15 times and making just 30 touches. Without Kylian Mbappé, this attack force is still dysfunctional and Deschamps is struggling to find the right combinations. Mbappé won’t be a silver bullet, but his expected return in March will certainly help matters in this respect.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle