After Italy’s impressive win on Wednesday, it was the young Les Bleus who prevailed 2-1 this morning. The visitors struck either side of half-time to take control of the game, with Tiehi scoring in the 41st minute and Remadnia doubling the lead four minutes into the second half. The Azzurrini responded late on, with Giammattei pulling one back in the 81st minute, but France held on for the win.

Franceschini’s reaction. Head coach Franceschini offered his typically astute assessment at full-time:

“We struggled in the first half, but after the break we expressed ourselves much better, attacking the space well, using the width effectively and managing possession positively in the early build-up phase.

“Overall,” he added, “I’m pleased with these two matches. I feel like the boys responded really well to what we were asking of them, which is a particular positive with the upcoming Round 2 of European Championship qualification in March in mind.”