Italy 3-1 France: Italy came from behind to beat France 3-1 at San Siro on Thursday night, with Francesco Pio Esposito scoring twice as Zinedine Zidane suffered his first defeat since taking charge of Les Bleus. The result — Italy 3-1 France — sent the Azzurri top of Nations League Group A1 and ended a 64-year wait for a home win over their great rivals.
Italy 3-1 France: Olise opener, then the Esposito show
France struck first after 10 minutes when Michael Olise pounced on a loose pass from Italy captain Gianluigi Donnarumma and fired the visitors ahead. It was the perfect start for Zidane’s side, who had arrived in Milan without injured stars Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
Italy refused to panic. Francesco Pio Esposito brought them level in the 26th minute, steering home Nicolò Cambiaghi’s pull-back, and from there the game opened up. France twice hit the woodwork before the break, through Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki.
The second half belonged to the hosts. Sebastiano Esposito missed a penalty on the hour, but Italy were not to be denied. Three minutes later substitute Federico Dimarco teed up Davide Frattesi for an emphatic first-time finish, and with 15 minutes left Francesco Pio Esposito sealed the win from the spot after Dayot Upamecano fouled Antonio Vergara. France finished with 65 percent of the possession and 18 shots, but it was their first ever defeat at San Siro.
Zidane’s first defeat — and a 64-year wait ends
The defeat is the first of Zidane’s reign as France head coach, ending his unbeaten start since taking over in the summer. For Italy, the win carried even more weight: they had not beaten France on home soil since May 1962, a run stretching back more than six decades.
Mancini warned afterwards that the job is not done, saying his side “deserved the victory” but now “need to go and win in Belgium” to keep top spot. His caution is understandable, but this was a statement result for an Italy side rebuilding under him — and a first real setback for Zidane’s France.
France’s injury problems were clear to see. With Mbappe and Dembele both sidelined, Les Bleus still created plenty, but they lacked the cutting edge their captain usually provides. Read more on Mbappe’s absence here: Mbappe ruled out of France vs Italy as Zidane confirms hamstring blow.
What the result means for Group A1
Italy climb above France at the top of Group A1 on head-to-head record, with both teams on 10 points going into the final round of games. Belgium sit just one point behind on nine after inflicting a fifth straight defeat on rock-bottom Turkiye.
The final round is on Sunday. Italy travel to Belgium, where they will secure qualification for the quarter-finals if they avoid defeat, while France host Turkiye knowing a point will be enough to reach the last eight. After a night like this, neither side can afford to take anything for granted.
England also sealed their place in the Nations League quarter-finals on Thursday, with Harry Kane’s record 126th-cap penalty sealing a 2-1 win over Croatia at Wembley. For the weekend’s football, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC0) — collage by SportsBuddy
