Italy face France at San Nicola in a friendly on Thursday, Sept. 1. Here’s all the info you need to watch.
International competition is back. We didn’t have to wait long after a busy summer of competitions including the Euros in France and the Copa America Centenario in the United States. The match between Italy and France is set to be a good one, as two of the elite teams in Europe will be facing off and looking to gain momentum going into World Cup qualification next week.
This match will feature new Italian coach, Giampiero Ventura, as he looks to start his Italian coaching career with a win over the Euro 2016 finalists. Ventura has elected to keep most of the same players that featured for the Azzurri this summer, but has brought in Serie A leading goal scorer Andrea Belotti, Genoa’s Leonardo Pavoletti and A.C Milan’s 17-year-old keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It will be interesting to see if Ventura gives Donnarumma a chance at some point in this match, and how the team will play under the new coaches style of play.
France will also look to kick star their World Cup qualifying after losing a heart breaker against Portugal in the Euro final. French coach Didier Deschamps has also elected to bring in a talented youngster into his side, Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele.
Deschamps has decided to keep most of the same players that represented France this summer, and will need Crystal Palace’s Steve Mandanda to step up while captain Hugo Lloris heals from an injury he suffered in Tottenham’s first match of the Premier League season.
This FIFA international friendly match between Italy and France will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Live streaming is available on ESPN.com, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscriptions online
Date: Thursday, September 1
Start time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Bari, Italy
Stadium: San Nicola
TV Info: ESPN3
Live Stream: ESPN Online