Mission accomplished for the France team. Traveling to Italy for their last match of the group stage of the Nations League, the Blues had to win by two goals to snatch first place in the group and thanks to Lucas Digne and Adrien Rabiot, author with a double, they won 3-1 at San Siro. Enough to validate first place in the group and take magnificent revenge, two months after losing by the same score at the Parc des Princes against the Nazionale.
With this first place, the Blues will avoid the bigger fish in the quarter-finals. Spain, Germany and Portugal are the other three group winners. However, the task will not be easy since the French team will have to face the Netherlands (pool 3), Croatia or Poland (pool 1), Denmark or Serbia (pool 4), with the last day remaining to play in these groups, Monday or Tuesday.
The Blues will host in the return match
The French team will nevertheless have a major advantage during these quarter-finals, scheduled for March 20 and 23. Thanks to this first place, the Blues will indeed have the advantage of hosting at the Stade de France during the return match.
The draw will take place next Friday, November 22 in Nyon, Switzerland. This draw will also determine the table for the semi-finals which will be held next June as well as the posters for the promotion/relegation play-offs between the different leagues.
