This was Friendly Fun on a Friday

France 3-1 Italy

It would have made a fitting World Cup Final this.

In fact, it was once.

It’s virtually 12 years since the two nations met in Germany with the Italians triumphing on spot-kicks after the infamous Zinedine Zidane-Marco Materazzi incident which meant the Frenchman ended his playing career in disgrace.

That aside, football games between these two nations have usually been about a contrast in styles and approach and, for the majority of sports betting fans, it was unthinkable both nations would not make World Cup 18.

Yet that is exactly what has happened and this international friendly proved why.

Les Bleus are gearing up for an attack on the world’s biggest prize, the Azzurri are going to spend the summer watching from home.

In truth, new Italy boss Roberto Mancini named an experimental line-up in the Allianz Riviera in Nice and it showed as they were 2-0 behind inside half an hour.

First Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti fired into the top left half corner following a set piece after eight minutes.

Then Rolando Mandragora was a little harshly judged to have fouled left-back Lucas Hernandez in the box and, following a delay while the referee consulted the video evidence – a sight we may well become accustomed to over the next month – the decision to award a spot-kick stood.

Antoine Griezmann confidently and clinically dispatched and Didier Deschamps’ men were two goals to the good.

N’Golo Kante had hit the post in between as France were far too strong.

To their credit, the Italians were back in the contest within seven minutes – Leonardo Bonucci on hand to reduce the arrears after Hugo Lloris was only able to palm out Mario Balotelli’s free-kick.

But the pace of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele was clearly troubling the Italians and the latter was only the width of the crossbar away from extending the hosts’ advantage soon after the break.

Just after the hour came the third their play merited and it was Dembele who expertly despatched the ball into the top left corner from the edge of the box.

La Marseillaise rang out for the second time in five days – France beat Ireland earlier in the week – and the match was over.

Two questions worth asking – will Deschamps start the French opener against Australia with Dembele and Mbappe up front?

If so, it will unsettle many a defence.

Secondly, this may have only been a friendly but why doesn’t Paul Pogba play like this more often in club football?

Mancini, in his second match in charge, admitted France are currently ‘superior’ to his nation, although he can take heart from the chances they created once they were 3-1 behind.

He will also have seen signs of promise after handing international debuts to Mattia Caldara, Domenico Berardi and Mandragora, all starting alongside Danilo D’Ambrosio who was earning his second cap.

Italy are a work in progress, France could be the real thing.

We will soon be about to find out.

Russia 2018 starts in 13 days time!

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