Italy Defeats France 3-1 to Take Charge of Nations League Group
Francesco Pio Esposito scored two goals for Italy, despite his brother Sebastiano missing a penalty, as Italy triumphed over France 3-1 at San Siro, positioning themselves at the top of their Nations League group.
France, under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane, had only a single draw in their recent outings, specifically a 1-1 tie with Italy in Paris. The French team visited San Siro without numerous key players, including Marcus Thuram, Pierre Kalulu, Manu Koné, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Aurelien Tchouameni, William Saliba, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix, Maghnes Akliouche, and Esteban Lepaul.
On the Italian side, Gianluca Mancini, Nicolò Zaniolo, Moise Kean, and Mattia Zaccagni were absent, leaving the Azzurri to lean on the Esposito brothers for their offensive efforts. Italy’s last victory against France on home soil had been in May 1962, when they won a friendly match 2-1, facing four defeats and only two draws since then.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Zinedine Zidane, Head Coach of France, looks on before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026, in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
Gianluigi Donnarumma made a crucial save, thwarting Adrien Rabiot’s header just nine minutes into the match. However, a careless back pass allowed Michael Olise to score the opening goal for France, marking the first instance under Zidane that they scored before halftime.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Michael Olise of France celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026, in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
Italy equalized when Davide Frattesi initiated the offensive play, leading to Niccolò Cambiaghi’s setup for Pio Esposito to score, marking his eighth goal for the national team.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Pio Esposito of Italy celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with Nicolo Cambiaghi and Sandro Tonali during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026, in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
This goal revitalized Italy’s spirit, as Sebastiano Esposito tested goalkeeper Mike Maignan shortly after. France nearly regained the lead when Bradley Barcola’s shot hit the post.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy saves a shot from Bradley Barcola of France during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026, in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
As the second half kicked off, Italy had to deal with another scare with Donnarumma misreading the ball, but he redeemed himself with a phenomenal save off Rayan Cherki’s shot. Meanwhile, Italy struggled to convert opportunities, including a penalty opportunity missed by Sebastiano Esposito.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Sebastiano Esposito of Italy misses from the penalty spot during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026, in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
However, Federico Dimarco came off the bench to make an immediate impact. Following a regained possession, Dimarco provided a crucial assist to Frattesi, who scored his tenth goal for the national team. Shortly after, Italy earned another penalty when Antonio Vergara was fouled, and Pio Esposito successfully converted this one, reinforcing Italy’s lead.
MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Pio Esposito of Italy scores his team’s third goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026, in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
Despite some late attempts from both sides, including a free kick from Olise that went over the bar, Italy secured their victory, marking a significant step in their Nations League campaign.
Italy 3-1 France
Olise 10 (F), Pio Esposito 26 (I), Frattesi 63 (I), Pio Esposito pen 75 (I)
Missed penalty: S Esposito 60 (I)
