France Held by Italy as Olise Shines in 1-1 Nations League Draw

Posted : 03 October 2026

France were held to a 1-1 draw by Italy in the UEFA Nations League League A, Group 1, on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Stade de France. Michael Olise opened the scoring with a superb strike in the 55th minute, but Alessandro Bastoni equalized for Italy in the 68th minute.

The match marked Zinedine Zidane's first home game as France head coach. He had started his international break with two victories away from home and was looking to maintain that momentum in front of 77,118 spectators.

France and Italy played out a goalless first half, with neither side finding a breakthrough. The contest became more open after the interval as both teams pushed forward in search of the opening goal.

Olise gave France the lead in the 55th minute with a powerful effort from outside the penalty area. Rayan Cherki rolled a free-kick into his path, allowing the Bayern Munich winger to strike the ball cleanly. His effort crashed against the underside of the crossbar before crossing the goal line.

The goal continued Olise's impressive international form. He had been directly involved in 14 goals in 15 appearances for France during the year, underlining his growing importance to the national team.

Italy responded with increased attacking pressure and found an equalizer through Bastoni in the 68th minute. The defender intercepted a pass from Lucas da Cunha before advancing towards goal and beating the onrushing Mike Maignan with a shot from the edge of the box.

Italy responded with determination and secured a deserved equalizer through Bastoni in the 68th minute. The defender capitalized on a defensive error involving Lucas da Cunha before beating Maignan with a composed finish. The goal rewarded Italy's persistence and brought the visitors back into the contest.

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also played a significant role in the result. He produced several important saves to deny France, including efforts from Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and Olise. His late interventions helped Italy withstand sustained pressure.

France suffered another setback in the 85th minute when Dayot Upamecano received his second yellow card and was sent off. The defender's dismissal forced the hosts to finish the match with 10 players and made their attempts to find a winner more difficult.

The draw left France at the top of Group A1 with seven points. Belgium moved into second place with six points after a 3-0 victory over Turkey, while Italy occupied third position with four points. Turkey remained without a point after three matches.

Belgium's victory featured two goals from Kevin De Bruyne and another from Romelu Lukaku. The result kept the group competitive heading into the next round of fixtures.

For Italy head coach Roberto Mancini, the draw provided another opportunity to build momentum following his return to the national team setup. France, meanwhile, were left to reflect on a home performance in which Olise's individual brilliance was not enough to secure all three points.

The two teams will continue their Nations League campaigns as the race for qualification and group positions intensifies.

France Held by Italy as Olise Shines in 1-1 Nations League Draw

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