France’s UEFA Nations League meeting with Italy was a momentous occasion.
A run-of-the-mill Nations League clash may have meant little in the grand scheme of things. However, the game was Zinedine Zidane’s home debut having succeeded Didier Deschamps as Les Bleus boss earlier this year.
That it came against Italy was a somewhat cruel twist of fate. Zidane’s final game as a player, after all, ended on a sour note against the Azzurri 20 years ago.
In this article, we’ll cover:
And while it was Zidane’s France that dominated the opening exchanges, it was Italy who came closest to opening the scoring. Michael Kayode picked out Moise Kean, who really should have got the better of Mike Maignan from close range in the ninth minute.
It took until the 20th minute for the hosts to forge their first chance. Michael Olise cut onto his left, yet fired high and wide from range as France pushed to make their territorial dominance count. Ousmane Dembele saw an effort blocked for a corner, while Olise’s lofted cross from the resulting set piece deflected off Sandro Tonali and onto the crossbar.
Dembele wasted a chance to slip in a teammate shortly before the break, the Paris Saint-Germain man testing Gianluigi Donnarumma from range, as France continued to huff and puff. Zidane’s side still looked shaky at the back, as Kayode’s long throw caused havoc in the box. Davide Frattesi hoped to capitalise on the chaos, though his effort squirmed behind for a corner. Kean then saw a low drive ruled out for offside as this Italy side showed gave the hosts a scare.
Donnarumma was forced into a fine double save to deny former PSG teammates Desire Doue and Dembele minutes after the restart as France made a bright start to the second half. The Italy captain then pushed an Olise strike away from goal as Italy held on at the Stade de France.
It took until the 55th minute for France to finally break the Italy resolve. Rayan Cherki won a free-kick 20 yards from the Azzurri goal, and it was the Manchester City man who teed up Olise. The Bayern man launched an unstoppable effort up and over the wall, and off the crossbar, to leave Donnarumma rooted to the spot.
Completely against the run of play midway through the second half, and Italy were level. Lucas da Cunha was robbed of possession by centre-back Alessandro Bastoni in the France half. The Inter man then showed all the composure of an elite striker to tuck past Maignan to silence the French capital.
France rapidly pressed to regain the lead, and it took another fine Donnarumma stop to deny Adrien Rabiot to keep the scores level in the 70th minute. And as the clock ticked towards the 90, Donnarumma was again on hand to keep the France offence at bay, palming an Eduardo Camavinga hit away for a corner.
Centre-back Dayot Upamecano received his marching orders for a second yellow with five minutes of normal time to play. Italy, though, failed to make their numerical advantage count, and it was France who had the best chance in the dying embers, Donnarumma again equal to Camavinga’s effort from range, with the spoils shared in a 1-1 draw in Paris.
Italy’s lack of elite attacking options a worry
Roberto Mancini lined his Italy side up in a 4-3-3 in France on Friday night, with Moise Kean joining Esposito brothers Francesco Pio and Sebastiano in attack. It’s hardly a trio that instils fear in opposition backlines.
Between them, they managed just three shots. Second half subs Gianluca Scamacca and Antonio Vergara failed to test Mike Maignan in the France goal. Ultimately, it was defender Alessandro Bastoni who broke France down. The Inter star had strolled forward from centre-back before tucking past Maignan.
The lack of top-quality attacking options is a concern for Mancini. This is a nation that was once able to call upon Fabrizio Ravanelli, Christian Vieri, Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi at one time or another. Now, the current crop are nowhere near the standard required for Italy, and it showed in Paris.
Freed from Desire
Having featured in the 1-0 win over Turkiye from the bench, Desire Doue started the subsequent 1-0 victory over Belgium. There was a hint of fortune about his selection, however.
Kylian Mbappe suffered a knee injury last month that forced him to withdraw from the France squad. Mbappe’s absence benefitted Doue, who has started two of France’s three games during the international break.
And the PSG man looked to be enjoying himself in the capital on Friday. While Doue failed to contribute to a goal, it wasn’t for want of trying as he managed three shots and completed four take ons. It follows a superb showing against Belgium, where he managed five completed take ons, five shots and created four chances.
Da Cunha catches the eye despite mistake
Lucas da Cunha was rewarded for his bright start to the Serie A season with Como with a first France call up last month. And he made his debut for Les Bleus in the 1-0 win over Belgium last month.
The 25-year-old kept his place in the side for the Italy clash, and again looked assured in possession for Zidane’s team. Admittedly, he was caught on the ball by Bastoni for the Italy equaliser. Conversely, Adrien Rabiot’s pass put the Como star in danger.
| Player | Chances Created |
|---|---|
| Lucas da Cunha | 4 |
| Ousmane Dembele | 3 |
| Nicolo Fagioli | 3 |
| Michael Kayode | 2 |
| Rayan Cherki | 2 |
| Michael Olise | 2 |
That shouldn’t take away another solid midfield performance from Da Cunha. The midfielder created more chances (4) than any other player. Only Dayot Upamecano (90) attempted more passes than the Como man (85) in the stalemate. He would likely have ranked higher had he not been withdrawn following the former’s late red.
A 96.5% pass accuracy was also the third best of all starters in Paris on Friday. Fans will remember his error for Bastoni’s equaliser. However, Da Cunha put on a display that proved he warrants a spot in the Les Bleus XI for the upcoming meeting with Belgium. He could turn out to be the perfect tempo-setter in Zidane’s France side.