Italy Beat France 3-1 as Francesco Pio Esposito Hands Zidane First Defeat

Posted : 13 November 2026

Italy produced an impressive comeback to defeat France 3-1 at the San Siro on Thursday, with Francesco Pio Esposito scoring twice to hand Zinedine Zidane his first loss as France manager.

The victory saw Roberto Mancini's side move to the top of UEFA Nations League Group A1, strengthening their chances of reaching the quarter-finals. Italy and France are level on 10 points, but the Azzurri hold the advantage through their head-to-head record, while Belgium sit third with nine points.

France made a lively start despite missing key attacking players Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele through injury. The visitors took the lead after just 10 minutes when Michael Olise capitalised on a costly mistake by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Donnarumma's misplaced pass fell directly to Olise, who took advantage of the opportunity by getting past a defender before finding the back of the net. The Bayern Munich attacker continued his impressive Nations League campaign, registering his fifth goal in the competition.

Italy responded positively and restored parity in the 26th minute. Nicolo Cambiaghi created the opportunity with an excellent run down the flank before delivering a low cross into the penalty area, where Inter Milan forward Francesco Pio Esposito produced a composed finish.

The equaliser lifted the atmosphere inside the San Siro, with Italy becoming increasingly dangerous in attack. Esposito's brother, Sebastiano, nearly completed the turnaround shortly afterwards, but France goalkeeper Mike Maignan made an important save to keep the scores level.

France also came close to restoring their advantage before half-time when Bradley Barcola produced a curling effort that struck the far post.

The second half continued in an entertaining fashion, with both teams creating opportunities. France midfielder Rayan Cherki came close to restoring the visitors' lead, but Donnarumma produced an excellent save to push his powerful effort onto the post.

Italy also threatened at the other end, with Cambiaghi forcing Maignan into a close-range stop. The hosts were then handed a golden opportunity to take the lead when Malo Gusto brought down Cambiaghi inside the penalty area.

Sebastiano Esposito stepped up to take the resulting penalty but sent his effort wide, missing the chance to put Italy ahead in the 60th minute.

However, the Azzurri quickly recovered from the disappointment. Just three minutes later, substitute Federico Dimarco delivered a cross into the penalty area, which Davide Frattesi converted with a powerful finish to give Italy a 2-1 advantage.

Italy continued to press forward and secured the victory in the 75th minute. Substitute Antonio Vergara was fouled by Dayot Upamecano inside the box, resulting in another penalty for the hosts.

This time, Francesco Pio Esposito took responsibility and confidently fired the ball into the bottom corner, completing his brace and extending Italy's lead to 3-1.

France struggled to find a response during the closing stages, allowing Italy to secure an important victory in front of their home supporters.

The result marked Italy's first home victory against France since 1962 and extended their unbeaten run to four matches. It also represented a significant moment for Mancini's second spell in charge as the team continues its efforts to re-establish itself among Europe's leading football nations.

Italy and France now have 10 points each in Group A1, with Belgium just one point behind following their 2-1 victory over Turkey. The final round of group fixtures will see Italy travel to Belgium, while France host Turkey as both sides fight for quarter-final qualification.

Italy Beat France 3-1 as Francesco Pio Esposito Hands Zidane First Defeat

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics