Italy star Alessandro Bastoni jokes that he should be the ‘last person you should ask’ about facing France’s Ousmane Dembélé: ‘You saw how it went the last time.’

Italy and Inter star Bastoni made a funny and honest admission about facing star striker Dembélé, the latest Ballon d’Or winner.

During a pre-match press conference on the eve of tonight’s game against France, Bastoni said.

“You probably saw how it went last time. I’m the last person you should ask; it’s really not easy. He’s an incredible player, just like all of his teammates in that unit.

“We need a great performance from a defensive standpoint, definitely a collective one that involves everyone, all eleven on the pitch. But I think the only way to put France in trouble is to actually play, without being afraid to keep the ball. So I believe our possession phase can make the difference.”

Bastoni’s reference was to the 2025 Champions League Final, which his Inter side lost 5-0 to Dembélé’s PSG.

Bastoni started Friday’s away game against Turkiye and scored the winning goal for the Azzurri.

Tonight, he’s expected to start against France in the Nations League group phase, Round 3.