Pio Esposito scored twice and Davide Frattesi once as Italy came from behind to beat France 3-1 at San Siro on Thursday. Sebastiano Esposito missed a penalty, but Italy drew level with France on 10 points at the top of Group A1 before Sunday’s decider in Belgium.
Milan, Italy: Italy trailed after ten minutes, wasted a penalty around the hour and still beat France 3-1 at San Siro, a comeback that put the Azzurri level with Zinedine Zidane’s side at the top of League A Group 1 and sets up a decisive final match against Belgium in Brussels on Sunday.
Olise punishes Donnarumma’s mistake
France arrived without Kylian Mbappé, who missed training on the eve of the match, and without Marcus Thuram and Ousmane Dembélé, but they began as the better side. Doué and Rabiot both had chances before France took the lead in the 10th minute. Gianluigi Donnarumma played a poor pass in the build-up and gave the ball to Michael Olise, who beat Alessandro Bastoni and scored from close range with his right foot.
Esposito levels it
Italy needed 16 minutes to answer. Nicolò Cambiaghi dribbled past Malo Gusto and crossed, and Pio Esposito got ahead of Dayot Upamecano to beat Maignan for the equaliser. France kept the ball for long stretches of the first half, but Italy held the score at 1-1 until the break.
A missed penalty, then Frattesi
The second half followed the same pattern, with France holding possession and Italy hitting on the counter. Cambiaghi won his duel with Malo Gusto again, and the Chelsea right-back brought him down in the area. Sebastiano Esposito, Pio’s brother, took the penalty and put it wide. Italy did not have to wait long to recover. Soon after the hour, substitute Federico Dimarco found Davide Frattesi in the middle of the area, and the midfielder hit a first-time shot to make it 2-1 in the 63rd minute.
Pio Esposito completes the turnaround
France had no answer, and in the 75th minute Upamecano fouled substitute Vergara inside the area. Pio Esposito took the second penalty of the night and scored it, making up for his brother’s miss and completing his double. At 21, he now has nine goals in 14 appearances for Italy.
Group picture before Brussels
Italy and France are level on 10 points in Group A1, with Italy ranked first, while Belgium sit a point behind on nine after a comeback win in Türkiye the same evening. Italy visit Belgium on Sunday, with France hosting Türkiye. Roberto Mancini’s side had beaten Türkiye 3-1 in Bologna last month, and this victory over a France side missing several attackers sets up a decisive final fixture against Belgium, where a win would put Italy in control of the group.
Score: Italy 3 (Pio Esposito 26’, 75’ pen.; Frattesi 63’) France 1 (Olise 10’) — UEFA Nations League, League A Group 1, San Siro, Milan, 12 November 2026. Referee: Kovács (Romania). Sebastiano Esposito (Italy) missed a penalty around the hour.
Group A1: Italy 10 points, France 10, Belgium 9, Türkiye 0.
