Italy defeated France 3-1 at San Siro in Milan and moved to the top of Group A1 in the Nations League. The French took the lead through Michael Olise in the 10th minute, but Pio Esposito equalised in the 26th, Davide Frattesi made it 2-1 in the 63rd, and Esposito completed the final score from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.
The match was decided after missed chances in both penalty areas. Sebastiano Esposito failed to convert a penalty for Italy in the 60th minute, and shortly afterwards Frattesi finished off an attack following a pass from substitute Federico Dimarco. Pio Esposito made no mistake with the hosts’ second penalty.
Mancini: The Victory Will Not Mean Much Without a Result in Belgium
Italy manager Roberto Mancini described the win as an important reaction after France’s early goal. “These are the best matches to play and win because they are remembered. There is still one match left and everything is open,” he told Sky Sport.
Mancini stressed that Italy must also take points from their next match. “If we do not get a result in Brussels, this match will not mean much,” the coach said. He also clarified that Pio Esposito had been the designated first penalty taker, with Sebastiano having missed his attempt.
Pio Esposito himself described his second goal as a moment of double responsibility. “I had to close out the match and help Seba’s miss be forgotten,” said the striker, who now has nine goals in 14 appearances for Italy.
Zidane Admitted France’s Problems After the Break
For France, the defeat was the first since Zinedine Zidane took over as manager. The coach admitted that his team had started well and controlled possession, but lost its composure after the break.
The Frenchman rejected the idea that his team had lacked courage, but admitted that France had lost duels and made collective errors. Zidane expects Kylian Mbappé to be available for the home match against Turkey after the striker missed the game due to a minor issue.
How the French Media Saw the Match
“Le Parisien” described France’s new team as “too inexperienced” and focused on the failed second half. The publication noted that the French had started convincingly but had been unable to respond to Italy’s physical and tactical reaction.
“Le Monde” highlighted France’s first defeat in the Zidane era and the missed opportunity to secure an early place in the quarter-finals. According to the outlet’s analysis, the French created chances, but Italy was more effective at decisive moments.
After the fifth round, Italy and France have 10 points each, but the “Azzurri” are top thanks to their advantage in the head-to-head matches. Belgium are third with 9 points. On 15 November, Italy visit Belgium in Brussels, while France host Turkey in Bordeaux.
Sources: sport.sky.it, leparisien.fr, lemonde.fr