France warmed up for their World Cup campaign by beating Italy 3-1 in a heavyweight European friendly clash in Nice.
France made a lively start and scored the opening goal in the eighth minute when Samuel Umtiti bundled in a rebound. A deep Benjamin Pavard cross from the right found Kylian Mbappe at the back post and, though Salvatore Sirigu denied the striker, Umtiti slammed in his second France goal.
Passed fit to start, Mario Balotelli blasted a free kick into the wall before sending an ambitious strike flying wide.
France were playing with startling vitality and N’Golo Kante was unlucky to see a 25-yard low drive fizz against the outside of Sirigu’s right-hand post.
After the impressive Mbappe sent a powerful shot just off-target, Lucas Hernandez beat Rolando Mandragora for pace down the left and was dragged down as he entered the penalty area.
Antoine Griezmann stepped up to beat Sirigu from 12 yards and although the goalkeeper guessed correctly by diving to his left, the Atletico Madrid striker broke a four-game international duck.
Italy pulled one back in the 36th minute, with captain Leonardo Bonucci well placed to convert a close-range rebound after Hugo Lloris could only parry a ferocious Balotelli free kick.
Playing on his home ground, Nice striker Balotelli forced a smart stop from Lloris seconds after the restart; the goalkeeper then sprung Ousmane Dembele clear with a long throw and the Barcelona wing clipped the crossbar at the end of a thrilling break.
Dembele fine-tuned his radar and would not be denied with his next effort: he picked up the pieces after Mattia Caldara halted Mbappe’s run and hit his strike into Sirigu’s top-left corner.
Balotelli appeared to hurt his right ankle after firing over the crossbar and was replaced soon after.
Sirigu denied substitute Florian Thauvin a spectacular 85th-minute fourth, but for Didier Deschamps, this was an eye-catching performance with the World Cup less than two weeks away.
Deschamps’ side will seek to add to three consecutive friendly wins when they face the United States on 9 June in their final World Cup warm-up, while Roberto Mancini continues his rebuilding job when Italy, who did not qualify for Russia 2018, take on the Netherlands on Monday.
