Italy produced a resilient performance at the
Despite the absence of key forwards Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, France began the match with significant intensity. They were rewarded early when Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma committed a costly error, gifting the ball to Michael Olise. The forward capitalized on the mistake, maneuvering past a defender to score his fifth goal in five Nations League appearances.
Italy Response and Tactical Shift
The momentum shifted in the 26th minute when Italy found an equalizer through
The end-to-end nature of the contest persisted after the interval. Rayan Cherki saw a powerful strike tipped onto the woodwork by Donnarumma, while Mike Maignan was forced into a crucial point-blank save at the other end to deny Cambiaghi. Italy were awarded a penalty shortly after the hour mark when Malo Gusto fouled Cambiaghi, but Sebastiano Esposito missed the opportunity to put his side ahead, firing his spot-kick wide.
Italy’s persistence eventually paid off in the 63rd minute. Shortly after entering the pitch as a substitute, Federico Dimarco provided a cross that Davide Frattesi drilled home to give the hosts the lead. The victory was sealed when Antonio Vergara was brought down by Dayot Upamecano, leading to a second penalty for Italy. Francesco Pio Esposito stepped up to convert, securing his brace and finalizing the 3-1 scoreline.
The win extends Italy’s unbeaten run to four matches under Roberto Mancini and represents their first home victory against France since 1962. With both teams now level on 10 points in Group A1, the final round of fixtures on Sunday will be decisive, as Italy travel to face Belgium while France host Turkey.
