Italy Defeats France 3-1 to Take UEFA Nations League Group A Lead

Italy defeats France at San Siro

France claimed the early advantage at San Siro on Friday before Italy surged back for a 3-1 victory that secured top spot in UEFA Nations League Group A1. Roberto Mancini’s side faced Zinedine Zidane’s team in the fixture.

Michael Olise opened the scoring for France in the 10th minute, according to match reports. Italy responded in the 25th minute through Francesco Pio Esposito to level the score before halftime, as detailed by Hürriyet.

The second half brought decisive shifts for the hosts. Davide Frattesi struck in the 63rd minute to put Italy ahead, and Francesco Pio Esposito added a penalty in the 75th minute to seal the result, per Sözcü Gazetesi. Fanatik said that Sebastiano Esposito also missed an earlier penalty for Italy in the 60th minute.

Italy leads France on goal difference after win

The 3-1 win lifts Italy to 10 points, putting Italy ahead of France on goal difference, as reported by Fanatik. France also sits on 10 points in second place following the San Siro defeat. In the final round of group fixtures, Italy travels to face Belgium, while France hosts Turkey. Belgium currently occupies third place in the group with 9 points following a 2-1 win against Turkey, leaving Turkey at the bottom of the standings without a point, according to Sözcü Gazetesi.

Other UEFA Nations League results and scores

In other UEFA Nations League action across the groups, England defeated Croatia 2-1 with goals from Morgan Rogers and Harry Kane, while Petar Sucic scored Croatia’s goal. Spain earned a 2-0 away win against Czechia through goals from Alex Baena and Marc Pubill. Albania recorded a 2-0 victory over Finland, Belarus beat San Marino 2-0 away, Armenia drew 1-1 with Cyprus, and Montenegro defeated Latvia 2-1 at home.

Where the match was played and who scored

Where was the match played?

The UEFA Nations League Group A1 fixture between Italy and France was played at San Siro in Milan, also referred to as Giuseppe Meazza.

Who scored the goals for Italy?

Francesco Pio Esposito scored twice, including a penalty, while Davide Frattesi scored Italy’s other goal in the second-half comeback.

Who do Italy and France face next in the group stage?

Italy travels to play an away fixture against Belgium, and France hosts Turkey for their final group match.

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