Italy 3-1 France
UEFA Nations League, League A, Group 1 – Round 5
Thursday 12 November 2026 | San Siro (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza), Milan
Referee: István Kovács | Attendance: approx. 70,000
Italy produced a stirring second-half comeback to beat France 3-1 at San Siro, moving top of Group A1 and handing Zinedine Zidane his first defeat as France head coach. Francesco Pio Esposito scored twice — including a penalty — with Davide Frattesi also on target, as Roberto Mancini’s side recovered from an early setback to claim a vital victory.
First half
France started brightly and took the lead after just 10 minutes. Gianluigi Donnarumma’s loose pass out from the back fell straight to Michael Olise, who advanced into the area and finished calmly for his fifth goal in five Nations League appearances. The visitors, missing Kylian Mbappé, looked dangerous and controlled large periods of possession.
Italy responded well. In the 26th minute, Nicolò Cambiaghi drove to the byline and cut the ball back for Francesco Pio Esposito, who applied a deft finish past Mike Maignan to level the score at 1-1. France continued to threaten, with Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola hitting the woodwork, but the Azzurri held firm to reach half-time level.
Second half
The hosts grew stronger after the interval. Around the hour mark, Malo Gusto fouled Cambiaghi in the box, earning Italy a penalty. Sebastiano Esposito stepped up but fired his effort wide. The miss proved only a temporary setback.
Moments later, Federico Dimarco — freshly introduced — delivered a low cross from the left, and Frattesi arrived unmarked to drill a left-footed shot past Maignan for 2-1. Italy then won a second penalty when Dayot Upamecano brought down substitute Antonio Vergara inside the area. This time Francesco Pio Esposito took responsibility and converted with a composed finish into the bottom corner in the 75th minute to complete his brace and make it 3-1.
France pushed late but could not find a way back. Full-time: Italy 3-1 France.
Key points
Italy’s clinical finishing proved decisive despite France’s superior possession (around 65%). The result puts the Azzurri top of Group A1 on 10 points, level with France but ahead on head-to-head. Belgium sit just one point behind after their win elsewhere. Italy’s next fixture is against Belgium, where a point would strengthen their quarter-final ambitions, while France must regroup under Zidane.
Match Report by Dr. Talal Osman
GCC Sport
