Zinédine Zidane has not lost since taking over France, but both of his wins have been 1-0 and one arrived only in the 88th minute, and Italy arrive at Stade de France having just scored three times in the first half against Türkiye.

That contrast, a French side built on discipline and Italy's newly rediscovered attacking edge, is what makes this Nations League meeting worth more than a glance at the group table.

Quick Picks

• Our Pick: Double Chance: France And Draw
• Same Game Multi (our combination): Double Chance: France And Draw + Both Teams To Score: Yes
• Alternative Pick: Both Teams To Score: Yes

Both legs of that combination are listed individually on the France vs Italy odds page if you would rather build your own multi.

Zidane's unbeaten start meets Italy's attacking response

France have opened Zidane's tenure with consecutive 1-0 away wins over Türkiye and Belgium, taking six points from two matches without conceding a goal, and this will be his first home match in charge.

The Belgium win was not built on comfort: Désiré Doué and Lucas Da Cunha both struck the woodwork before Michael Olise finally broke through in the 88th minute, which suggests France are creating plenty even when the scoreline stays tight.

Italy's response to an opening 2-0 loss against Belgium was emphatic, beating Türkiye 4-1 with Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi and debutant Michael Kayode all scoring before half-time.

Roberto Mancini also left ten players training separately at Coverciano rather than travelling to Bursa, specifically to freshen up his group for this trip to Paris, so the side France face may not mirror the one that dismantled Türkiye.

• Date: Saturday 3 October 2026
• Kick-off: 4:45 am AEST
• Local Kick-off: Friday 2 October 2026, 8:45 pm CEST
• Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France

How to watch France vs Italy in Australia

beIN SPORTS Australia has this fixture live at 4:45 am AEST on Saturday 3 October.

More broadly, every UEFA Nations League match is available live and on demand in Australia through beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Amazon Prime Video and Fetch TV, so there are multiple ways to catch the build-up and the match itself if you are up early.

France vs Italy Prediction

We like the Double Chance market: France And Draw.

Zidane's side have started with two clean sheets and know how to see out tight matches, while France have won four of the last five meetings with this opponent overall.

Italy's counter-argument is real: they scored four in Türkiye and beat France on their previous visit, so a nervy finish shouldn't surprise anyone.