-
Italy came from behind to defeat France 3-1 at the San Siro, handing Zinedine Zidane his first defeat as France coach after winning three of his opening four matches.
-
Inter Milan striker Francesco Pio Esposito delivered a match-winning performance with two goals, including a second-half penalty, to inspire Italy to their first home victory over France in 64 years.
-
Davide Frattesi put Italy ahead in the 63rd minute after Michael Olise had given France an early lead, while Pio Esposito’s 76th-minute spot kick sealed an impressive comeback victory for the hosts.
-
Zidane criticised France’s defensive display, admitting his players struggled without the ball in the second half, while expressing hope that Kylian Mbappe would recover from a minor problem to feature against Turkey on Sunday.
November 13, (THEWILL) – Zinedine Zidane suffered his first defeat as the coach of the French national team in a 3-1 defeat to Italy in a Nations League clash at the San Siro Stadium on Thursday.
Italy produced a stunning comeback with Inter Milan striker Francesco Pio Esposito scoring twice to lead the hosts to their first win over France at home in 64 years.
France enjoyed a dream start when Michael Olise capitalised on a costly mistake by Gianluigi Donnarumma, who gave away possession while attempting to play out from the back in the 10th minute.
However, Italy responded in the 26th minute through Pio Esposito, who finished Nicolo Cambiaghi’s delivery from close range to restore parity for the hosts.
Both sides went into the half-time break level, but Italy returned with purpose and intent in the second half.
Davide Frattesi put the hosts ahead in the 63rd minute, converting Federico Dimarco’s cut-back after Sebastiano Esposito had earlier missed a penalty for Italy.
Italy were subsequently awarded another penalty after Dayot Upamecano brought down substitute Antonio Vergara inside the box.
Pio Esposito stepped forward and converted from the spot in the 76th minute to complete his brace and seal an impressive victory for Roberto Mancini’s men.
Rayan Cherki and Bradley Barcola both saw their efforts denied by the woodwork as Italy held on to seal an historic win to move to the top of Group A with 10 points, level with France but ahead on head-to-head record, while Belgium occupied third position with nine points.
READ ALSO:
Zinedine Zidane was unhappy with his team’s defensive performance in the encounter.
He said: “We started well and we were good in possession, but in the second half we ran into difficulties, especially defensively.
Asked if the team lacked courage, he replied: “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.
“The most important thing is creating chances. 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.”
The former Real Madrid manager is hopeful that Kylian Mbappé will be able to feature against Turkey on Sunday.
Zidane added: “I think all the players were focused. As I said, we were a little less focused and less effective in the second half.
“I hope (Mbappe) can play against Turkey. That is the plan. We decided not to risk him tonight because he had a little problem.”
Italy will be aiming to continue their impressive form when they take on Belgium on Sunday.
Zidane has won three matches and lost one in his first four matches as the coach of France.
