Nations League | Italy 1-3 France: Match Report

Italy suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat to France at San Siro, exposing their vulnerability to set pieces and losing top spot in their Nations League group. Despite both teams having already secured quarter-final berths, the match held significance for seeding in the upcoming draw.

France wasted no time asserting their dominance, with Adrien Rabiot heading in from a corner after just two minutes. The visitors doubled their lead when Lucas Digne’s free-kick deflected off the crossbar and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for an unfortunate own goal.

Andrea Cambiaso briefly gave Italy hope, volleying in Federico Dimarco’s cross to make it 2-1. However, France capitalized on Italy’s defensive frailties once more, as Rabiot scored his second from another set-piece delivery by Digne.

The Azzurri struggled to mount a comeback, with Moise Kean and Nicolò Rovella squandering late chances. Mike Maignan preserved France’s two-goal advantage with a crucial save from Kean in stoppage time.

This result highlighted Italy’s ongoing issues defending set plays, having now conceded six consecutive goals from such situations. The defeat sees France leapfrog Italy to claim top spot in the group, securing a more favorable seeding for the quarter-final draw.

Luciano Spalletti will need to address these defensive shortcomings as Italy look ahead to future competitions. Meanwhile, France demonstrated their attacking prowess and ability to exploit opponents’ weaknesses, even without key players like Kylian Mbappé.

Goals: Rabiot 2, 65 (F), Vicario og 33 (F), Cambiaso 35 (I)

Italy (3-5-1-1): Vicario; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Cambiaso (78′ Maldini), Frattesi (67′ Raspadori), Locatelli (67′ Rovella), Tonali, Dimarco (83′ Udogie); Barella; Retegui (67′ Kean)

France (4-3-1-2): Maignan; Koundé (82′ Pavard), Konaté, Saliba, Digne; Guendouzi, Koné, Rabiot; Nkunku; Kolo Muani, Thuram (78′ Barcola).