France vs. Italy: Time, Live Stream and TV Schedule

France continue their FIFA 2018 World Cup preparations with an international friendly against Italy on Friday at the Allianz Riviera in Nice.

The game is Les Bleus' penultimate friendly before they open their campaign in Russia against Australia on June 16.

France beat Republic of Ireland 2-0 in Paris on Monday in their first friendly and will also play the United States in Lyon before they fly out to Russia.

Date: Friday, June 1

Time: 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET

TV Info: ESPN 3 (U.S.)

Live Stream: ESPN Deportes (U.S.)

Deschamps spoilt for choice with France

France coach Didier Deschamps saw his team beat Ireland 2-0 despite starting the match with big names such as Hugo Lloris, N'Golo Kante, Ousmane Dembele, Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann on the bench.

Goals from Olivier Giroud and Nabil Fekir did the damage for Les Bleus, while Kylian Mbappe continued his fine form for the national team, as shown by Opta:

The game highlighted the wide variety of options available to Deschamps, and he is likely to mix his team up again on Friday as he searches for his strongest combination.

Football writer Tom Williams said Monday's match might be a glimpse into the future:

The talent available to Deschamps means the team will go into the tournament as one of the favourites to lift the World Cup.

However, it's up to Deschamps to find the best starting lineup from the players available, and Friday's friendly will be important as players stake their claim for a place in his team.

Home comforts can help Balotelli shine

Italy striker Mario Balotelli marked his return to the national team with a brilliant individual goal in a 2-1 friendly win over Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Squawka Football highlighted how long it had been between goals for Italy:

The strike ensured it was a winning start for new Italy manager Roberto Mancini, and he'll be hoping to keep that run going on a ground where Balotelli has played his club football since 2016.

Balotelli has enjoyed a fine season with the French side, scoring 26 goals in all competitions.

Goal showed him in action:

His form has led to speculation he will leave Nice this summer, and he is wanted by several top clubs including Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Marseille, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).

Balotelli is said to prefer a return to Serie A, and another good performance for the Azzurri would help his cause.