Italy secured a vital 3-1 victory over France at the San Siro in Milan on Thursday, moving to the top of their Nations League group. The match resulted in the first defeat for Zinedine Zidane since he took charge as the head coach of France. Despite France making a strong start in rainy conditions, Italy successfully overturned an early deficit to claim all three points.
France opened the scoring in the 10th minute after Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma misplaced a pass, allowing Michael Olise to find the back of the net. The lead was short-lived, as Italy responded in the 26th minute through Francesco Pio Esposito, who converted a cross from Nicolo Cambiaghi with a deft touch. The match remained competitive throughout the first half, with France hitting the woodwork through a curling effort from Bradley Barcola.
The intensity continued after the break, with both teams forcing saves and hitting the post. Italy earned a penalty around the hour mark when Malo Gusto fouled Cambiaghi, but Sebastiano Esposito missed the opportunity, sending his spot-kick wide. Italy quickly recovered from the set-back when Davide Frattesi scored from a cross delivered by Federico Dimarco, giving the hosts the lead.
Italy cemented their win later in the second half after Antonio Vergara was fouled by Dayot Upamecano inside the box. Francesco Pio Esposito converted the resulting penalty, drilling his shot into the bottom corner to secure his second goal of the match. The win extends Italy’s unbeaten run to four matches and marks their first home victory against France since 1962.
Key facts
- Francesco Pio Esposito scored two goals for Italy, including one penalty.
- Michael Olise scored for France in the 10th minute.
- Italy moved to 10 points, leading Group A1 on a head-to-head record against France.
- The match was played at the San Siro in Milan, Italy.
- Italy’s unbeaten streak under coach Roberto Mancini has now reached four matches.
Why it matters
With this win, Italy moves to the top of Group A1, level on 10 points with France but ahead on head-to-head records. Both teams now look toward the final round of group matches scheduled for Sunday, where Italy will host Belgium and France will travel to face Turkiye.
Background
The match saw France competing without injured attackers Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. In other Nations League action held the same day, Harry Kane scored his 92nd goal for England during their 2-1 victory over Croatia at Wembley, marking his 126th cap for the national side.
Source: Al Jazeera
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