The Daily Star Ireland
This match carries high stakes, with Italy aiming to avoid relegation and France looking to secure a playoff spot. Despite their differing objectives, both teams have shown a tendency for draws, with Italy recording six ties in their last 12 home games at this level and France holding a solid position in the UEFA Nations League standings.
Although Italy is recognized for its dynamic attacking play, recent data reveals that 18 of their last 20 UEFA Nations League games have stayed under three goals. France has displayed a similar trend, with 19 of their previous 20 games also featuring fewer than 3.5 goals, indicating that this pattern may continue when the two sides meet.
Italy has consistently both scored and conceded over their last 11 top-tier games, while France has also demonstrated this tendency, with both teams finding the net in five of their last six matches. This suggests that clean sheets may be hard to come by in this matchup.
Prediction
Even with France’s past successes, their last 39 away games at this level have all ended with three goals or fewer. Likewise, Italy’s last 24 UEFA Nations League matches have remained under the 3.5-goal mark, suggesting a low-scoring outcome.
Prediction: Italy 1 – 1 France
