Francesco Pio Esposito scored twice as Italy overcame an early deficit to defeat France 3-1 at San Siro on Thursday, securing top spot in UEFA Nations League Group A1.
Zinedine Zidane suffered his first defeat as France head coach after Michael Olise capitalized on a Gianluigi Donnarumma error to open the scoring in the 10th minute. Italy responded when Nicolò Cambiaghi cut the ball back for Pio Esposito to equalize before halftime.
The attendance at the San Siro reached about 66,000 under regulations that reduced stadium capacity, featuring around 1,000 French supporters positioned in the third tier of the Curva Nord. Before kickoff, sections of the home crowd booed the French anthem, prompting the Italian players to respond with applause until the whistles were silenced.
Les Bleus are defeated in Italy. We’ll be looking to seal our spot in the quarter-finals against Türkiye on Sunday 👊 🇮🇹3-1🇫🇷 #ITAFRA pic.twitter.com/5XboA7EeM6
Italy Fights Back to Beat France
The match turned after the interval when Sebastiano Esposito missed a penalty kick for the hosts on 60 minutes, firing wide of the target. Italy regained momentum moments later when Federico Dimarco delivered a cross from the left that Davide Frattesi finished first-time past Mike Maignan.
Before that sequence, Bradley Barcola had his low shot denied by the right post.
Frattesi makes way for Doumbia 🔄 🇮🇹 2-1 🇫🇷 (73')#ITAFRA #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro
Pio Esposito sealed the victory in the 75th minute from the penalty spot after Antonio Vergara was tripped inside the area by Dayot Upamecano. Italy won at home against France for the first time since 1962. Giorgio Scalvini later said that Roberto Mancini had told the players before the match that these were nights to be remembered when they are old.
We started well and we were good in possession, but in the second half we ran into difficulties, especially defensively.
Zinedine Zidane, France head coach
Zidane told a press conference that the defeat was part of his team’s development. “No, quite the opposite. We stayed in the game, we did well in possession, especially in the first half, but in the second half we caved in a bit, especially after 2-1. It’s part of the process,” Zidane said, according to RFI.
Les Bleus open the scoring! It’s Olise with the goal inside 10 minutes 🔥 🇮🇹0-1🇫🇷 #ITAFRA pic.twitter.com/Mkwx9V3VAL
“Hitting the post had an impact, but I'm not disappointed. I would have been if we hadn't created good possession. What we need to analyse is why we weren't at the right level off the ball,” France coach Zinedine Zidane told RFI.
Zidane also confirmed that Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé were absent for the trip to Milan, but said that Mbappé could return for the upcoming match against Turkey.
No mistake from the spot! 🎯 🇮🇹 3-1 🇫🇷 (75')#ITAFRA #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/YVX4FH2kvP
Pio Esposito Discusses Penalty Pressure and Coaching Decisions
Pio Esposito addressed his penalty kick after the match, explaining the psychological weight of stepping up after his brother’s miss and his own previous miss in a World Cup playoff against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
When I stepped up to the penalty spot, that memory came back to me — but I couldn’t hide for the rest of my life. You have to summon the courage to take them.
Pio Esposito, Italy forward
Italy coach Roberto Mancini clarified the team’s penalty order following the match, mentioning with a smile that Pio is the designated first-choice taker while Sebastiano is second in line. Mancini also joked with Sebastiano on the bench about whether he wanted to take the second penalty kick as well.
With his two goals, the 21-year-old Inter Milan striker raised his international tally to nine goals in 14 matches, matching Francesco Totti’s goal total for the national team. Mancini said the young forward could eventually challenge Gigi Riva’s long-standing national record of 35 goals.
We need goals from Pio and the others too, but he can score a lot.
Roberto Mancini, Italy head coach
“Gigi Riva has been up there on 35 for a lifetime. Let’s hope someone surpasses him. We need goals from Pio and the others too, but he can score a lot,” Mancini said.
Italy Leads Group A1 Ahead of Belgium Match
Italy moves to 10 points from five matches, leading Group A1 on head-to-head record ahead of France. Italy travels to face Belgium on Sunday.
France concludes its group campaign on home soil against Türkiye. Will a result in Belgium secure first place and a berth in the quarterfinals for Italy?
Earlier coverage: Italy Defeats France 3-1 at San Siro, Zidane Suffers First Loss