--- title: "Italy Dramatically Defeats France: Pio Esposito's Brace Hands Zinedine Zidane First Defeat" description: "Italy turned around their match against France in the Nations League second half: a brace from Pio Esposito and a goal from Frattesi gave the Azzurri a 3:1 comeback win and handed Zinedine Zidane his first defeat as France manager." date: 2026-11-12T22:32:45.391Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/italy-defeats-france-nations-league tags: [italy, france, nations-league, football, zinedine-zidane] author: "Dmitriy Shatolov, Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Italy Dramatically Defeats France: Pio Esposito's Brace Hands Zinedine Zidane First Defeat ![Footballers battle for the ball near the goal during the Nations League match between Italy and France](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/italiya-odolela-franciyu-v-lige-nacij/italiya-odolela-franciyu-v-lige-nacij-1.webp) ## Key Points - Italy beat France 3:1 in the Nations League match, coming back after conceding an early goal. - Goals for Italy were scored by Pio Esposito (26, 75 — penalty) and Davide Frattesi (63); for France, Michael Olise scored (10). - Olise's opening goal resulted from Gianluigi Donnarumma's error during build-up play. - Sebastiano Esposito failed to convert a penalty in the 58th minute, shooting over the crossbar. - This is Zinedine Zidane's first defeat in charge of the French national team; both teams have 10 points, with Italy leading on tiebreakers. The national teams of Italy and France delivered one of the most tense matches of the current UEFA Nations League stage. The hosts, having conceded an early and seemingly decisive goal, did not break; instead, they completely turned the tide of the match in the second half, snatching a comeback victory with a score of 3:1. The match featured plenty of sharp moments, goalkeeping errors, and dramatic episodes at both ends of the pitch, with substitutions and penalty conversion ultimately deciding the outcome. ### Early Strike and Gianluigi Donnarumma's Blunder The French started the match boldly and aggressively, and their pressure paid off as early as the 10th minute. Gianluigi Donnarumma made a gross error during a build-up play near his own box: Michael Olise instantly intercepted the goalkeeper's poor pass, faked past a defender, and coolly slotted the ball home to give the visitors the lead — 0:1. This goal temporarily knocked the ground out from under the hosts, but conceding only awakened the Italians, who gradually seized the initiative and forced visiting goalkeeper Mike Maignan into action. ### Italy Seizes the Initiative The pressure from the Azzurri paid off in the 26th minute: Nicolo Cambiaghi cleverly dealt with Malo Gusto on the left edge of the penalty area and crossed from the byline, while Pio Esposito directed the ball through the French goalkeeper's legs with the outside of his boot, restoring parity — 1:1. By the end of the first half, the game was played at a frantic end-to-end pace: immediately after the goal, Sebastiano Esposito shot dangerously, but Maignan saved the visitors, and in the 35th minute, Bradley Barcola nearly put France ahead by hitting the woodwork. The teams went into halftime with the score tied. ### Exchange of Chances and a Missed Penalty The second half began with a true exchange of dangerous opportunities. In the 52nd minute, Donnarumma redeemed himself for his early mistake by parrying a difficult shot from Rayan Cherki, and right in the next attack at the opposite end, Maignan showed his class following a shot from Pio Esposito. Soon after, the Italian goalkeeper saved his team again from an Adrien Rabiot strike. The key episode unfolded midway through the second half: in the 58th minute, Malo Gusto was late with a sliding tackle in his own box against the active Cambiaghi, and the referee pointed to the spot. Sebastiano Esposito stepped up, but the brother of the opening goalscorer shot too powerfully and sent the ball over the crossbar. ### Decisive Substitutions and Esposito's Brace The missed penalty did not break the hosts, and substitutions played a decisive role. Already in the 63rd minute, Federico Dimarco, who had come on a minute earlier, delivered his trademark sharp cross from the left flank, and Davide Frattesi scored with a precise shot from inside the penalty area to put Italy ahead — 2:1. In the 75th minute, the Italian national team earned another penalty following a foul by Dayot Upamecano on Antonio Vergara. Pio Esposito neatly converted the spot-kick, completed a brace, and firmly cemented his team's advantage in this dramatic clash, setting the final score at 3:1. ### Consequences for the Standings For the visiting coach, this match marked Zinedine Zidane's first defeat at the helm of the French national team. The French specialist's charges lost their lead in the group, trailing Italy on goal difference/tiebreakers as both teams share 10 points. Thus, the hosts' comeback victory not only treated fans to a spectacular match but also reshaped the balance of power in the Nations League group. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Первое поражение Зидана: Италия драматически одолела Францию в Лиге наций](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/football/persha-porazka-zidana-italiya-dramatichno-1794519654.html) - The final score of 3:1, goalscorers (P. Esposito 26 and 75 penalty, Frattesi 63 — Olise 10), goalkeeping error episodes, Sebastiano Esposito's missed penalty, Zidane's first defeat, and equal points (10 each) for both teams are confirmed by the source text. ## FAQ ### What was the score in the Italy vs France match? Italy won 3:1. Goals were scored by Pio Esposito (26, 75 — penalty) and Davide Frattesi (63); Michael Olise scored for France (10). ### How did France manage to open the scoring? In the 10th minute, Gianluigi Donnarumma made an error during a build-up play, allowing Michael Olise to intercept the poor pass, beat a defender with a fake, and score. ### Who missed a penalty in this match? In the 58th minute, Sebastiano Esposito hit the penalty too hard and sent the ball over the crossbar. ### What were the consequences of the match for the standings? This is Zinedine Zidane's first defeat as head coach of the French national team. Both teams have 10 points, but Italy surpassed France on tiebreakers to top the group.