Francesco Pio Esposito delivered a decisive two-goal performance to hand Zinedine Zidane his first defeat as France’s head coach. The comeback 3-1 victory at the San Siro propelled Italy to the top of their Nations League group, overcoming an early deficit in a match defined by high-intensity play and tactical shifts.
The visitors opened the scoring ten minutes into the contest when a mistake by Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma gifted the ball to Michael Olise. Olise capitalized on the error, weaving past a defender to fire home his fifth goal in five Nations League matches, leaving him just behind England’s Harry Kane in scoring form for the tournament. And there was never any doubt from the moment he placed the ball and sent it straight down the middle as goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic dived to his left, it was the Bayern Munich forward’s 92nd England goal.
Italy responded in the 26th minute through a precise attacking sequence. Nicolo Cambiaghi broke down the flank and delivered a cut-back cross that Esposito steered into the net with a deft touch. The goal reignited the home crowd and shifted momentum, with Sebastiano Esposito nearly adding a second shortly after, only to be denied by goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
France, playing without injured stars Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, remained aggressive. Desire Doue struck the side netting and captain Adrien Rabiot forced a save from Donnarumma, while Bradley Barcola rattled the woodwork with a curling strike before halftime. The intensity remained after the break, as Donnarumma tipped a Rayan Cherki strike onto the post. But it did not show as they made an electric start in pouring rain in Milan, france were without star attackers Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele through injury.
The match turned definitively on the hour mark. After Cambiaghi drew a foul from Malo Gusto in the box, Sebastiano Esposito missed the resulting penalty. Italy reclaimed their composure quickly, however, as Davide Frattesi scored in the 63rd minute following a Federico Dimarco cross. The victory was sealed when Antonio Vergara, also a substitute, drew a foul from Dayot Upamecano, allowing Francesco Pio Esposito to convert his second goal from the spot. While France were twice denied by the woodwork in an entertaining encounter, inter Milan striker Esposito’s second came from the penalty spot after his brother Sebastiano had earlier fired a spot kick wide.
This result keeps Italy atop Group A1 with 10 points, leading France on a head-to-head tiebreaker. It marks a significant milestone for manager Roberto Mancini, who has extended his side’s unbeaten streak to four games and secured Italy’s first home win against France since 1962. Belgium remains in third place following their win over Turkiye. Level with France but above them on head-to-head record, while Belgium are third on nine points after inflicting a fifth straight defeat on rock-bottom Turkiye, the result sent Italy top of Group A1 on 10 points.
In other international action, Harry Kane reached a historic milestone by earning his 126th cap for England. During their 2-1 victory over Croatia at Wembley, the 33-year-old captain converted a 64th-minute penalty in front of 80,400 spectators to secure England’s place in the Nations League last eight. The 33-year-old followed a script that seemed destined to happen when he stepped up in the 64th minute to put England ahead in front of an 80,400-strong crowd after the hosts had conceded a sloppy equaliser five minutes.
Kane, whose penalty was his 92nd international goal, was honored before the match with a commemorative token presented by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Having already surpassed Bobby Moore’s long-standing record of 108 caps, Kane’s latest appearance solidified his status as England’s most-capped player. Handed a commemorative token by former goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the previous record holder since 1989, when he surpassed Bobby Moore’s 108 caps, kane had started a night of celebration as the centre of attention.
International competition continues this Sunday with the final round of group fixtures. Belgium is set to host Italy, while France will travel to face Turkiye.
