Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Dembele on Scoresheet as France Power Past Italy

France flexed their muscles ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Friday night as they beat Italy 3-1 in Nice.

Samuel Umtiti was on hand to give host France the lead in the eighth minute, pouncing on a rebound after Kylian Mbappe's header was stopped by Salvatore Sirigu. 

On 29 minutes, Lucas Hernandez was felled in the area, allowing Antoine Griezmann to double France's lead from the penalty spot. Leonardo Bonucci got Italy back in it before the break after an error from Hugo Lloris, who parried Mario Balotelli's free-kick back into a dangerous area.

After the interval, the action continued to ebb and flow. France made the game safe thanks to a sweet strike from Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele.

Decisions for Deschamps

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There aren't many international managers who'll feel sorry for France boss Didier Deschamps given the resources at his disposal, although he has such a tough choice to make on who to choose up top.

Mbappe, Griezmann and Dembele lined up as a trio for this one and were sensational. The fluidity, speed and intuitiveness they showed were striking, leaving a capable Italy defence flummoxed at times.

And yet, one of the trio may have to miss out, with the manager proven to be a fan of Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud's ability to offer a focal point. French football journalist Jeremy Smith believes we may see a few combinations:

Encouragingly for Deschamps, the three who featured on Friday all finished their domestic seasons well, capping off strong campaigns with some silverware. If the coach can strike a balance that works at the World Cup, then this French setup is going to be so difficult to stop.

Balotelli Shows Well at Home Ground

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There has been a lot of focus on Balotelli since his return to the Italy setup under the guidance of new manager Roberto Mancini. Here, in front of his home supporters at Nice, was no different.

As reported by Jamie Smith of Goal, in Balotelli's last outing for the Azzurri against Saudi Arabia, a banner deemed as "ugly" by Mancini was held up by some Italian supporters. He scored that night, though, and looked very much at home on Friday, too.

It was his stinging free-kick that led to Italy's opening goal of the game, while the overall play from Balotelli would've been nothing new to supporters that have watched him shine for the last two years. Journalist Maxi Angelo praised his performance:

As noted by Smith, Balotelli appears set to leave the Ligue 1 side with his contract up this summer. This was an insight into what Nice supporters will be missing and a glimpse of a matured forward whom a new club may get their hands on.

Mbappe Runs Italy Ragged

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While there's no doubt Deschamps has some tough choices to make in Russia, Mbappe appears certain to start the World Cup. This was another example of why.

Playing typically from the right flank, he led the Azzurri to a merry dance with his incredible speed, close control and movement in the final third. While he maybe should've done better with the chance that Umtiti eventually profited from, the 19-year-old was at the heart of so much good work for Les Bleus.

As noted by journalist Tom Williams, the youngster so often makes defenders look foolish with his acceleration:

Philippe Auclair also enjoyed the forward's efforts:

This summer all eyes will be on the Paris Saint-Germain tyro after his incredible rise in recent years. Based on what we've witnessed so far, Mbappe has grown into a man capable of taking the world's biggest football tournament by storm.