International Friendlies: France vs Italy, 3 key battles that decided the game

Roberto Mancini's second game in charge of the Azzurri did not turn out to be as happy as his first, as France cruised to a 3-1 win over Italy at the Allianz Riviera in front of a packed home crowd.

Goals from Samuel Umtiti, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele were more than enough to give France a much-needed confidence booster ahead of the World Cup in Russia.

With no World Cup to play for, Mancini put in a highly experimental squad and the lack of chemistry between the players was evident. To his credit, Didier Deschamps also tried his hand at a few newer players, with much more success to show for it.

As always, there were a few key battles that had a say in deciding the final outcome of the game. Here are 3 such battles:

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#1 Samuel Umtiti vs Mario Balotelli

A mixed game for Balotelli, as is

tradition

Recalled to the national team after not being able to take part in the world cup qualifiers under Ventura, Balotelli scored on his come back in the previous game against Saudi Arabia. This game, however, wasn't as successful.

Throughout his career, not many have been able to figure out what goes through Balotelli's head, including Super Mario himself. There are days when he looks like he could be the absolute best player in the world, and then there are days when it looks like he hasn't seen the inside of a football pitch.

This match was both of them rolled into one. Balotelli was instrumental in creating Italy's goal, first drawing the foul and then hitting the ball hard at Lloris before Bonucci's tap-in. But he missed a free header from 6 or 7 yards out that would have made the match completely different.

Also visible was his selfish streak, as he often chose to take a shot instead of the easy ball to a teammate nearby.

Umtiti opened the scoring for France by pouncing on a rebound, but his defensive duties on the night were found to be a little lacking. Of course, he did not have his usual partner in Varane but it is a sign of warning to the French coach.

Both teams were all over the pitch in terms of defending, Italy more so than France, but seeing as how France actually want to win the WC, it will be something they have to get better at.

#2 N'Golo Kante vs Jorginho

Kante was far from his best, but it was more than enough to fend off the Italians

This might sound unimaginable, and even a little blasphemous, but Kante was a little off on the night.

The usually solid as a rock defensive midfielder did not have the greatest of games for France, as a lot of fouls went against him and deservedly so. Despite not getting a yellow card in the match, Kante was often the reason for Italy getting a free-kick in attacking positions.

But surprisingly, Kante was much influential offensively, as he often found himself in positions he usually doesn't. He had a shot very early on that hit the post, catching everyone including Sirigu by surprise.

Kante was not without his defensive contributions - it is just that he wasn't as reliable as he is at Chelsea. He was miles better than his opponent in the same position as Jorginho, who was often passed by the French attackers without even a second thought.

The Napoli midfielder's lack of chemistry with his teammates was the most important factor, as he is usually quality with his club. In this case, there wasn't much he could do as France used their pace to good effect and bypassed any and all of Italy's midfield with ease.

#3 Antoine Griezmann vs Leonardo Bonucci

Griezmann was at the heart of most of France's attacks

This match was a perfect example of just why Griezmann is the driving force for the national team despite having so many creative players in the side.

Every time someone got the ball, you could see Griezmann pointing his hands in the air saying where it should go next - a pass to him, a pass back to Pogba to keep the ball in the game, or simply hold the ball and wait for reinforcements to arrive.

While France did not always abide by it, they were successful mostly when they listened to him. Admittedly, Hernandez did not listen to him and went into the box without keeping hold of the ball, in turn earning the penalty that led to Griezmann's goal.

But otherwise, Griezmann always knew and he was the best player on the pitch ahead of even Dembele. His passing is on par with any other player in the world, and he has the goal-scoring ability to go with it.

Like Umtiti, Bonucci scored a tap-in but his defensive work-rate was seriously lacking. It can be attributed to the new style of play and the team not knowing each other very well - unlike the past - but it was still too raw of a performance at the back from the experienced Italian.

Mancini might not shake up things immediately, but he must have to at some point in the future if Italy do not want to miss out on any other important tournaments. One of the important decisions will be to find a suitable player to partner Bonucci at the back.