Italy had not beaten France at home since 1962, and Pio Esposito’s two goals at San Siro have ended the wait

Zinedine Zidane had not lost a match as France coach until Thursday night in Milan. Michael Olise put France ahead after ten minutes at San Siro, and Italy then scored three times without reply to win 3-1. Pio Esposito got two of them.

It was Italy’s first home win over France since a 2-1 friendly in May 1962. The two sides are now level on ten points at the top of Nations League Group A1, with Italy first on head-to-head, and a draw in Brussels on Sunday is enough to send Roberto Mancini’s team to the quarter-finals.

A gift, then a comeback

France’s goal came from an Italian mistake. Gianluigi Donnarumma gave the ball away while trying to play out from the back, and Olise skipped past a defender and finished.

“Conceding a goal against France after 10 minutes could’ve destroyed us,” Mancini said afterwards. Italy were level in the 26th minute. Nicolò Cambiaghi got to the left by-line and pulled the ball back, and Pio Esposito turned it in from close range.

France were the better side in the first half all the same. Bradley Barcola curled a shot against the far post before the break, and later Donnarumma got a fingertip to a Rayan Cherki shot and pushed it onto the post.

Two penalties, two brothers

Italy were given a penalty on the hour when Malo Gusto tripped Cambiaghi. Sebastiano Esposito, Pio’s older brother, took it and put it wide.

Three minutes later Italy were ahead anyway. Italy won the ball in midfield, Federico Dimarco, who had just come off the bench, crossed from the left, and Davide Frattesi scored first time.

The second penalty came in the 75th minute, when Dayot Upamecano brought down another substitute, Antonio Vergara. Pio took this one and drove it low into the corner. Mancini explained the order afterwards: Pio is the first-choice taker and Sebastiano is second. “It was a family thing,” he said.

Pio now has nine goals for Italy, and Mancini thinks he can go after the national record. “Gigi Riva has been up there on 35 for a lifetime,” the coach said. “Let’s hope someone surpasses him.”

Zidane calls it “part of the process”

France were without Kylian Mbappé, who was kept out with what Zidane called a little problem, and Ousmane Dembélé was missing too. Zidane thought his side had been fine on the ball and poor without it.

“We started well, and we were good in possession, but in the second half we ran into difficulties, especially defensively,” he said. “It’s part of the process.” He hopes Mbappé will be fit to face Türkiye on Sunday.

Three teams, two places

Belgium came from a goal down to win 2-1 in Izmir earlier on Thursday and are third on nine points, one behind the top two. Türkiye have lost all five games. On Sunday France host Türkiye in Bordeaux, and Italy go to Brussels.

Belgium won 2-0 in Rome in September, in Mancini’s first game back in charge, so the point Italy need is not a formality. Mancini is not planning to settle for it. “We need to go and win in Belgium anyway,” he said.

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