Italy 3-1 France was more than a comeback. Pio Esposito scored twice as Roberto Mancini’s side came from behind at San Siro on Thursday night, giving Italy their first home win over France since May 1962.
It was also Zinédine Zidane’s first defeat as France coach.
The result leaves UEFA Nations League Group A1 to be settled on Sunday, with Italy, France and Belgium chasing the two quarter-final places.
How Italy Turned It Around
France made the stronger start, and the FIGC’s match report says Gianluigi Donnarumma gifted Michael Olise the opener with an error while playing out from the back. The goals, with times from UEFA and build-up from the FIGC:
| Minute | Score | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 10’ | 0-1 | Michael Olise (France) |
| 26’ | 1-1 | Pio Esposito, from Nicolò Cambiaghi’s low cross |
| 63’ | 2-1 | Davide Frattesi, from Federico Dimarco’s low cross |
| 75’ | 3-1 | Pio Esposito, penalty |
The second half turned on a family story. According to the FIGC, Cambiaghi was bundled over by Malo Gusto, and Sebastiano Esposito fired the penalty wide. Frattesi put Italy ahead three minutes later. A move started by substitute Antonio Vergara then led to a second penalty, and this time Pio, Sebastiano’s brother, took it.
It was Pio’s first brace for Italy and took him to nine goals in 14 caps. “With the penalty, I had an extra responsibility,” he said, as quoted by the FIGC. “I wanted to put the game to bed and make up for my brother’s miss.”
France Had the Ball, Italy Had the Goals
UEFA’s official match statistics give France 60% possession and 18 attempts to Italy’s 10, with five on target each. UEFA’s round-up adds that Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki both struck the post. UEFA puts the crowd at 71,452.
France were without captain Kylian Mbappé. At his press conference in Milan on the eve of the match, Zidane said Mbappé had felt “une petite douleur” (a slight pain) and would not be risked, the French federation reported.
Zidane did not dramatise the defeat. “In the second half we caved in a bit, especially after 2-1. It’s part of the process,” he said, as reported by AFP.
What Italy, France and Belgium Need on Sunday
UEFA’s official Group A1 standings:
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +5 | 10 |
| 2 | France | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 10 |
| 3 | Belgium | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | +2 | 9 |
| 4 | Türkiye | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | −10 | 0 |
Italy are above France because head-to-head points are the first tie-breaker. Mancini’s side added this win to a 1-1 draw in Saint-Denis in October.
Everything turns on the result in Brussels.
An Italy win settles it: the Azzurri top the group whatever happens in Bordeaux, France qualify with them and Belgium are out.
A draw is still enough to take both Italy and France into the quarter-finals. Italy keep first place unless France beat Türkiye, in which case Les Bleus move above them.
A Belgium win puts Belgium through, and they would finish first unless France beat Türkiye. France would then need a win or a draw in Bordeaux to qualify, while Italy’s only way into the last eight would be a French defeat.
Türkiye, on zero points, can no longer climb out of fourth.
According to UEFA, both games kick off at 20:45 CET (19:45 UK): Belgium host Italy at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, and France face Türkiye at the Stade de Bordeaux. “Now we have to go to Brussels and win to stay top,” Mancini said, as quoted by the FIGC.
A Group Turned on Its Head
The Italy 3-1 France result turns Group A1 into a three-way finale in which nobody in the top three is safe. On UEFA’s numbers, Italy and France both go through by avoiding defeat, and only Italy control first place.
FAQ
Who refereed Italy v France?
István Kovács of Romania, according to UEFA’s match data.
What happens to the team that finishes third in Group A1?
It is ranked against the third-placed sides from the other League A groups. The best two of those four keep their place in League A, and the bottom two face a League A/B play-off.
Can Türkiye still avoid relegation?
That depends on Türkiye’s result against France and on the other groups. The two highest-ranked fourth-placed teams in League A go into the play-offs, and the two lowest-ranked are relegated to League B.
