Reigning World champions France and Belgium, ranked the planet’s best side despite also being eliminated from the summer’s European Championship by Italy, lock horns in the second semifinal of the UEFA Nations League Final Four.

France go into the tournament still smarting from their last-16 exit at the hands of Switzerland in the Euro and underwhelming performances in last month’s World Cup qualifiers.

Their 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Finland last month was their first victory after a run of five draws, not what is expected of a team packed with some of the world’s best players.

Coach Didier Deschamps will be without midfield lynchpin N’Golo Kante who contracted Covid-19 in the run up to Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat at Juventus last week.

Also out for Les Bleus is Olivier Giroud, who was dumped from the squad after Deschamps ended Karim Benzema’s long international exile ahead of the Euro.

Veteran forward Giroud, who sits just five goals away from equalling Thierry Henry’s all-time France record tally of 51, was also left out of AC Milan’s trip to Atalanta on Sunday with a back problem which along with a bout of Covid has hampered his start to life in Italy.

“This can’t erase what happened at the Euro, that is behind us now,” said Deschamps after naming his squad.

As of Sunday morning 31, 000 tickets had been sold for the first match in Milan, with 13, 000 bought for Sunday’s final at the same ground.

Both the San Siro and the Allianz Stadium will be at most half-full for the Final Four as Italy’s current Covid-19 legislation allows football stadia to open up to only 50% capacity to help guard against the spread of the virus.

There had been hopes that the limit would be moved up to 75% ahead of this week’s matches as case numbers have remained largely under control since the spring and nearly 80% of Italy’s population over 12 have been fully vaccinated.

But, on Thursday, Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina said that would have been impossible even if the rules had been changed from the start of October.

“We’re not ready, regardless of any decisions (from the government),” Gravina told reporters.

“I wish we had known this a month ago, so our communications could have been clearer… I have already said we cannot go beyond 50% capacity in the Nations League.”

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