Mancini’s assistant: Italy to be more aggressive against France, aim to improve performance
Antonio Gagliardi, assistant to Roberto Mancini, states that Italy ‘want to be more aggressive’ and ‘worked on how to emerge’ following their 1-1 Nations League draw against France.
The match begins at San Siro in Milan at 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).
Readers can track all the build-up and live action via the Liveblog.
Entering Matchday 5, France leads Group A1 with 10 points, ahead of Italy on seven and Belgium on six.
Italy fine-tunes its approach for the France fixture
Francesco Pio Esposito of Italy acknowledges coach Roberto Mancini after being substituted during the Nations League MD3 away match against France (@azzurri)
Kylian Mbappé misses the bench due to a hamstring issue, while Serie A talents Mike Maignan, Adrien Rabiot, and Lucas Da Cunha begin the match.
“France have some remarkable talent available, especially upfront,” Mancini’s assistant Gagliardi told Sky Sport Italia.
The Azzurri secured a 1-1 draw in Paris last month, marking the sole game Zinedine Zidane has not won since taking charge of the France bench.
PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 02: Michael Kayode of Italy delivers a cross under pressure from Adrien Rabiot of France during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group stage encounter between France and Italy at Stade de France on October 02, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pauline Figuet/Getty Images)
“We think that we had a good performance in Paris, so the coach worked on how to emerge from their press, and being at home we want to be more aggressive when they build up play.”
Changes from the Paris starting lineup include Nicolò Barella replacing Nicolò Fagioli, while Nicolò Cambiaghi enters for the injured Moise Kean, shifting Sebastiano Esposito to the right wing.
“We haven’t had much time to work, but that is true of everyone. If we can add these details, then we feel we can further improve on the performance in France.”
Italy versus France jersey for the Nations League clash at San Siro on November 12, 2026 (@Azzurri)
San Siro is fully booked for this evening, and the Nazionale hope for a shift in fortune after losing their last three matches at this venue.
“The love for the Italy shirt never disappears, and Italy-France is always a fascinating fixture. This is our third game in the last four with an average age of circa 24 years, so that helps the fans identify with the team, and see a bright future for this Nazionale,” concluded Gagliardi.
