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Italy’s First Home Win Over France Since 1962 Sets Up a Group A1 Decider

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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:

MinuteScoreGoal
10’0-1Michael Olise (France)
26’1-1Pio Esposito, from Nicolò Cambiaghi’s low cross
63’2-1Davide Frattesi, from Federico Dimarco’s low cross
75’3-1Pio 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.”

Highlights: Italy 3-1 France (FIGC Azzurri e Azzurre on YouTube)

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:

PosTeamPWDLGDPts
1Italy5311+510
2France5311+310
3Belgium5302+29
4Türkiye5005−100

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.

Pierre Sage Leaves Crystal Palace as Thomas Frank Is Reported to Be Closing In

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Pierre Sage’s time as Crystal Palace manager is over after five months, with the club bottom of the Premier League. Palace have not named a successor. BBC Sport reports that talks with former Brentford and Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank have reached the closing stages.

Accounts of how Sage left differ. Here is where things stand.

Crystal Palace Confirm Pierre Sage’s Exit

Palace announced the change in a statement yesterday. Three of Sage’s coaching staff left with him: Jamal Alioui, Damien Della Santa and Sandy Guichard.

The club thanked them for their work and said an update on appointing a new manager would follow “in due course”. It did not say who is in charge of the team in the meantime.

Stepped Down or Sacked? The Two Accounts of Sage’s Departure

The club’s wording does not say Sage was sacked, and the reporting splits into two camps:

  • He stepped down. The French regional daily La Voix du Nord reports that Sage stepped down, an arrangement it says suited both clubs. It says Palace wanted to avoid heavy compensation for a coach who could quickly find work elsewhere, and that Lens, the club Sage managed before Palace, did not want to pay a transfer fee.
  • He was dismissed. RMC Sport reports that Palace removed Sage yesterday and that he leaves with a payment equivalent to 18 months’ salary.

Palace have not commented on the terms.

Thomas Frank Reported to Be Frontrunner for the Crystal Palace Job

BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel reports that Palace hope to complete a deal before the players return from international duty. Palace also looked at Sean Dyche, formerly of Everton and Nottingham Forest, and Toulouse head coach Jens Berthel Askou, according to the BBC, but Frank is regarded as the clear favourite.

Why Frank Is Available

Frank has been out of work since Tottenham dismissed him in February, and the BBC says he chose not to take a job over the summer.

How Sage’s Reign Unravelled

The BBC reports that Sage arrived in June on a three-year contract to replace Oliver Glasner, having led Lens to second place in Ligue 1 and their first French Cup. In England, the results never followed:

The official Premier League table shows the cost:

PosClubPlayedW-D-LGoalsPoints
17Coventry City103-0-710-199
18Manchester United101-5-414-198
19Sunderland102-2-68-178
20Crystal Palace102-1-710-247

No side has conceded more than Palace’s 24 goals.

Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick, with Mauricio Pochettino confirmed as his successor.

Coventry Away Comes First

Palace’s next three Premier League fixtures, from the official fixture list:

DateFixtureKick-off (UK)
Saturday 21 NovemberCoventry City v Crystal Palace15:00
Sunday 29 NovemberCrystal Palace v Hull City14:05
Wednesday 2 DecemberChelsea v Crystal Palace19:30

The first of those matters most. As the table shows, Coventry are two points ahead, so a win would lift Palace above them. If a new manager is in place before the squad reunites, he would have most of the build-up to that game.

Final Thoughts

Sage’s exit is confirmed by the club; how it happened is disputed, and Frank’s appointment rests on the BBC’s reporting; Palace have not announced it. With Coventry first up, the timing will matter as much as the name.

FAQ

Who is Crystal Palace’s new manager?

Palace have not named one. BBC Sport reports that Thomas Frank is the clear favourite.

Was Pierre Sage sacked by Crystal Palace?

Accounts differ. The club says only that he has left; La Voix du Nord reports that he stepped down, while RMC Sport reports that he was dismissed.

When is Crystal Palace’s next match?

Coventry City away on Saturday 21 November at 15:00 UK time, according to the official fixture list.

Manchester United Appoints Mauricio Pochettino as Head Coach After Carrick’s Sacking

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Manchester United have sacked Michael Carrick. Manchester United confirm Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s men’s head coach.

Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the club’s head coach from Wednesday. He takes over a side that is 18th in the Premier League.

Here is what the club has confirmed, what has been reported, and what the change means for United’s fixture list.

Why Manchester United Sacked Michael Carrick

United announced Carrick’s exit in a club statement yesterday, saying he had “departed his role as men’s first-team head coach”.

The club credited him with last season’s recovery: after rejoining in January, he won 12 of the remaining 17 games of 2025–26 to finish third. This season had gone too badly, though. The statement called a change “necessary in order to achieve our ambitions” and promised to appoint a permanent successor “as quickly as possible”.

Where United Stand in the Premier League Table

The official table shows how tight the bottom of the division is after 10 matches:

PosClubPlayedW-D-LPoints
15Fulham102-4-410
16Nottingham Forest102-3-59
17Coventry City103-0-79
18Manchester United101-5-48
19Sunderland102-2-68
20Crystal Palace102-1-77

The same table shows United have conceded 19 goals, the same as Coventry; only Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town have let in more.

Crystal Palace have also confirmed that Pierre Sage has left, with Thomas Frank reported to be in talks to replace him.

What United’s Statement Says About Pochettino

The club says it has reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Manchester United confirm Mauricio Pochettino and his staff will be released once duties with the USA men’s team are over.

It also sets out his record. He began coaching at Espanyol in 2009, then set a club-record Premier League points tally with Southampton in 2014. At Tottenham Hotspur he qualified for the Champions League in four consecutive seasons and reached the 2019 final. He then won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Trophée desk Champions with Paris Saint-Germain before joining Chelsea in 2023. Most recently, he took the USA to the round of 16 at the World Cup.

What Sky Sports Reports

Sky Sports fills in the contract terms the club left out: a two-and-a-half-year deal running to the summer of 2029. Sky puts the release clause in his USA contract at £7m.

How Carrick Was Told

ESPN reports that chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox told Carrick of the decision in a meeting at Carrington yesterday morning, after a meeting with minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco the day before.

Sky Sports adds that Jonny Evans, Jonathan Woodgate, Steve Holland, Travis Binnion and goalkeeping coach Craig Mawson have also left. United’s statement on Carrick does not mention the coaching staff.

When Pochettino Takes Charge

United’s statement does not say which USA games those duties cover. Sky Sports reports that he will take charge of both of the USA’s games against Haiti, which US Soccer’s schedule puts in Miami tomorrow and in Cincinnati on Tuesday. Sky adds that he will fly to Manchester on Wednesday, the day he starts, and take his first training session on Thursday.

United’s next three Premier League fixtures, from the official fixture list:

DateFixtureKick-off (UK)
Sunday 22 NovemberLiverpool v Manchester United16:30
Saturday 28 NovemberManchester United v Brentford15:00
Wednesday 2 DecemberNewcastle United v Manchester United20:15

That makes the trip to Anfield his first game in charge.

What It Means for United

Pochettino will get only a few days on the training ground before facing Liverpool, fourth in the official table.

The table above explains the urgency. Two points cover 15th to 18th, so these three games could lift United into mid-table or leave them stuck in the bottom three. His first job is the defense.

The Bottom Line

United named Carrick’s successor the day after sacking him. Their statement praises Pochettino for building strong, cohesive teams and for developing individual players. He will need to show both quickly, with the three fixtures above to come and United in the bottom three.

FAQ

Is Pochettino’s move to Manchester United official?

Yes. The club confirmed it today in the statement linked above.

Will Pochettino still lead the USA against Haiti?

Sky Sports reports that he will. United’s statement says only that he and his staff will be released once their USA duties are over.

How long is Pochettino’s contract?

United have not said. As noted above, Sky Sports reports that it runs to the summer of 2029.

Inter have done it again: Lautaro Leads Another Incredible Comeback Against Roma

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Inter have done it again.

For the third consecutive Serie A match, Cristian Chivu’s side found themselves two goals behind — and once again, they refused to stay down. This time, the comeback came at the Stadio Olimpico against Roma, as Lautaro Martínez scored twice in the second half to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 2-2 draw.

Roma looked firmly in control after a dominant first half, with Manu Koné scoring twice. But Inter returned from the break with a completely different attitude, and Lautaro once again became the man to rescue the champions.

The draw means both teams remain unbeaten after five league matches, although both dropped points for the first time this season.

Roma strike twice before half-time

The match had all the ingredients of an early-season Serie A statement game.

Roma and Inter entered the contest with perfect records, making their meeting at the Olimpico a genuine top-of-the-table clash. The hosts needed only six minutes to make their advantage count.

Paulo Dybala delivered the ball into the area, Nahuel Molina headed it back across goal and Manu Koné found himself in the right place at the right time.

The French midfielder controlled the situation and fired past Josep Martínez to give Roma a 1-0 lead.

Inter responded.

Yann Bisseck had an opportunity that was stopped by Mile Svilar, while Lautaro Martínez was unable to convert Federico Dimarco’s delivery. Alessandro Bastoni also came close, hitting the outside of the post.

The chances suggested Inter were still in the game.

But Roma had the final word before the interval.

In the 37th minute, Koné appeared inside the penalty area once again and scored his second goal of the night. VAR checked the build-up for a possible offside, but the goal stood.

Roma 2-0 Inter.

At half-time, the champions had a serious problem to solve.

Chivu gets the reaction he wanted

Whatever Cristian Chivu told his players during the interval, Inter emerged from the dressing room with an immediate response.

The visitors needed only seconds after the restart to get back into the match.

Marcus Thuram sent the ball across the face of goal, and Lautaro Martínez was there to finish.

2-1.

Suddenly, the entire complexion of the match changed.

Roma were no longer comfortably protecting a two-goal advantage. Inter were pushing forward, winning second balls and looking increasingly dangerous around Svilar’s goal.

Chivu’s team had already shown this season that a two-goal deficit does not necessarily mean the match is over.

Against Roma, they were about to prove it once again.

Lautaro Martínez does it again

Roma still had opportunities to restore their two-goal advantage.

Donyell Malen came close, producing a powerful effort that struck Josep Martínez in the face. But Inter continued to apply pressure.

With 11 minutes remaining, the equaliser finally arrived.

Mile Svilar initially denied Thuram’s header. Moments later, Lautaro hit the crossbar. The ball stayed alive, however, and Roma failed to clear the danger.

Lautaro controlled the ball with his thigh before firing a volley into the net.

Roma 2-2 Inter.

The Argentine had done it again.

Two goals in the second half. Another comeback. Another night in which Inter had looked beaten before finding a way back into the game.

Thuram almost completed the turnaround late on, but his effort went just wide.

The comeback was complete — but Inter had to settle for one point.

Three straight comebacks from 0-2

What makes Inter’s latest result particularly remarkable is the pattern.

This was not an isolated comeback.

It was the third consecutive Serie A match in which Inter recovered from a two-goal deficit.

MatchDeficitFinal score
Inter vs Napoli0-23-2
Inter vs Udinese0-25-3
Roma vs Inter2-02-2

Against Napoli and Udinese, the comebacks ended in victories.

Against Roma, Inter recovered a point.

The sequence highlights one of the defining features of Chivu’s Inter so far this season: the team has repeatedly shown the ability to respond after difficult starts.

But there is another side to the story.

Inter have now been forced to chase games far too often.

Lautaro is at the heart of the comebacks

If there is one player who has repeatedly appeared at the centre of Inter’s fightbacks, it is Lautaro Martínez.

Against Roma, the captain scored both of Inter’s goals.

The first came almost immediately after half-time and gave the visitors belief. The second completed the comeback with just over ten minutes remaining.

His influence goes beyond the goals themselves.

Lautaro has become the focal point of an Inter side that repeatedly needs someone to change the momentum of a match.

After the Roma draw, however, the Argentine also highlighted the other side of Inter’s performance: the team cannot continue relying on comebacks every time it falls behind.

That message is particularly relevant after three straight matches featuring a two-goal deficit.

Roma let a perfect night slip away

From Roma’s perspective, the draw will feel very different.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s team produced an excellent first half and appeared to have the defending champions exactly where they wanted them.

A 2-0 lead at half-time against one of Serie A’s strongest sides was an opportunity to make a major statement.

Instead, Roma conceded twice after the break and had to settle for a draw.

The result also ended Roma’s run of nine consecutive Serie A victories. They remain unbeaten in 15 league matches at the Olimpico, but this was a game in which three points were within reach.

Gasperini nevertheless pointed to positives after the match, stressing that both teams had opportunities to win the game.

Inter’s comeback mentality is becoming a storyline

Three comebacks from 0-2 in succession are difficult to ignore.

The results against Napoli, Udinese and Roma have created a clear narrative around Chivu’s Inter.

When the champions fall behind, the match is not necessarily over.

But the same sequence also raises an important question: how sustainable is this approach?

A team competing at the top of Serie A cannot expect to recover from two-goal deficits every week.

The defensive problems that have contributed to these slow starts will inevitably attract attention, particularly because Inter have ambitions of competing at the highest level throughout the season.

Chivu’s half-time intervention against Roma produced the desired response. The bigger challenge will be preventing the same situation from developing in the first place.

A draw that keeps both teams at the top

The 2-2 draw brought the first dropped points of the season for both Roma and Inter.

After five matches, the two sides remained level on 13 points, with Lazio joining them at the top of the table after their victory over Venezia. Roma remained ahead of Inter on goal difference.

That makes the result particularly significant.

Neither team lost ground completely, but neither maintained a perfect record.

And for Inter, the most important takeaway may be psychological: once again, the team showed that it can recover from a difficult position against one of its direct rivals.

Inter refuse to stay down

There was a moment at half-time when Roma looked to have everything under control.

Two goals ahead at home, with Inter struggling to turn possession into clear chances, the hosts appeared to be heading towards another important victory.

Instead, Lautaro Martínez changed the story.

One goal became two.

Two became a draw.

And another Inter comeback was born.

For the third time in a row, Chivu’s team had fallen two goals behind in Serie A and still found a way to recover.

This time, there was no winning goal.

But there was another demonstration of Inter’s remarkable ability to stay alive in a match.

The next challenge for Chivu is perhaps even more important: turning the comeback mentality into a team that does not need to come back so often.

Inter-Napoli: The Hosts Complete a Stunning Comeback at San Siro

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Napoli raced into a two-goal lead, but Inter produced a remarkable comeback to turn the match around and send San Siro into celebration.

Inter and Napoli delivered a spectacular afternoon of Serie A Enilive football at San Siro, in a match that had almost everything: intensity, attacking football, dramatic momentum swings and five goals after the break.

In the end, it was Inter who claimed all three points after completing a stunning comeback. Napoli came agonisingly close to victory, but the hosts refused to surrender and eventually turned the game on its head.

Inter dominate, but Napoli create the clearest chances

The first half was played at a remarkable pace despite the heat still hanging over San Siro. Inter immediately took control of possession and went close to opening the scoring within seconds, as Diouf’s dangerous effort forced Meret into an early save.

Napoli, wearing red for the occasion, initially focused on protecting their penalty area and absorbing Inter’s pressure. Yet as the half progressed, the visitors began to create the more dangerous opportunities.

Anguissa came particularly close on two occasions. The first required an outstanding save from J. Martinez, while the second was stopped by a decisive intervention from Akanji.

Hojlund also had an opportunity but failed to make the most of his chance in front of goal.

Inter responded before the interval. Lautaro Martinez tested Meret from a difficult angle, while Dimarco came even closer when his free-kick beat the goalkeeper but struck the crossbar.

The game was already entertaining. After the break, it became extraordinary.

Napoli strike twice in three minutes

Chivu introduced Thuram and Jones at half-time, hoping to give Inter fresh momentum.

Instead, Napoli delivered a devastating blow.

On 50 minutes, the visitors broke forward on the counter-attack and quickly found themselves inside the Inter penalty area. J. Martinez denied Alisson, while Barella made a crucial sacrifice to prevent Politano from finishing.

But the former Inter winger remained involved in the move. He collected the loose ball and fired Napoli into the lead.

Inter immediately tried to respond, but Meret produced another superb save to deny Zielinski and preserve Napoli’s advantage.

Then came the second blow.

Just three minutes later, Hojlund doubled Napoli’s lead with a precise left-footed finish from outside the area, sending the ball into the bottom corner beyond the goalkeeper.

At 2-0 down, Inter appeared to be in serious trouble.

But the hosts were far from finished.

Lautaro starts the comeback

Inter pulled one goal back in the 56th minute.

Dimarco delivered the assist, and Lautaro Martinez showed his determination by sliding in ahead of his marker to turn the ball home.

The goal completely changed the atmosphere inside San Siro.

Inter began throwing everything forward, with Thuram at the centre of almost every dangerous attack.

The French forward first struck the post after making contact with the ball awkwardly with his shoulder. Moments later, he lifted another effort over the crossbar from a promising position.

Napoli were under increasing pressure.

Thuram completes the comeback

Inter’s relentless attacking finally paid off in the 82nd minute.

Thuram rose above Badiashile with impressive determination and headed the ball home to make it 2-2.

San Siro erupted.

What had looked like a comfortable Napoli victory only minutes earlier had suddenly become a completely different match.

And yet Napoli still had opportunities to regain the lead.

Neres sent an effort over the crossbar from a good position, while Anguissa narrowly failed to convert a chance from just a few steps out.

The visitors had come within touching distance of victory.

Instead, Inter delivered the final twist.

The captain has the final word

Deep into stoppage time, with the match seemingly destined for another dramatic turn, Inter’s captain stepped up.

Lautaro Martinez found the decisive touch in a crowded penalty area, solving the scramble with a perfectly timed finish to complete Inter’s extraordinary comeback.

From 0-2 down to 3-2 winners.

Napoli had the lead. They had the chances. They had even been within minutes of taking all three points.

But Inter never stopped believing.

Inter celebrate, Napoli left to regret what might have been

It was a match that showcased everything that makes Serie A so compelling.

Inter controlled large portions of the first half, Napoli threatened repeatedly on the counter, and the second half produced five goals and almost continuous attacking action.

For Chivu’s side, the victory represents far more than three points. Coming back from two goals down demonstrated character, resilience and an extraordinary refusal to give up.

For Napoli, the feeling will be very different.

They had the victory in their hands after building a two-goal advantage, only to watch it disappear in the final stages.

Inter fly. Napoli are left with the regret of a victory that was so close—and ultimately slipped away.