UEFA Nations League: France beat Italy 3-1 to finish group winners

France on Sunday handed Italy their first defeat in the 2024 Nations League clash with a 3-1 win at the San Siro.

This is a revenge victory for Didier Deschamps’ men, who were defeated by the same scoreline in their first meeting in the competition.

The victory also made France the group winner, pushing the Azurri, who had already qualified for the quarter-finals, into second place.

This shows Italy’s frailties dealing with set plays,  with an Adrien Rabiot brace.

Before the kick-off, both sides were already qualified for the quarter-finals, but a point would suffice for the Azzurri to win the group and get top-seed status in the draw. If they had even lost by a single goal, they would have topped the group but two have them level on head-to-head status, with France’s superior overall goal difference.

France needed just 119 seconds to break the deadlock. Lucas Digne’s winner met the head of former Juventus midfielder Rabiot, who nodded in from six yards despite a Federico Dimarco attempt at a goal-line clearance. 

There are similarities with the first leg action in September in Paris when France had taken the lead in the opening minute, but Italy fought back to win 3-1.

After Barella tested Mike Maignan from the edge of the box, Les Bleus doubled their advantage. Another Digne’s free kick went over the wall and bounced off the underside of the crossbar, ricocheting in off Vicario’s back.

Italy needed few moments to reduce the deficit that brought them back into the game  Federico Dimarco completed a give-and-go with Sandro Tonali down the left and his cross from the by-line volleyed in by Andrea Cambiaso with the inside of the left boot from nine yards.

France almost restored their two-goal lead when Marcus Thuram robbed Cambiaso inside his own penalty area but Giovanni Di Lorenzo charged down the effort, while Vicario parried the sudden Christopher Nkunku snapshot from distance.

After waiting for further efforts in the game, France regained Their two-goal lead again from a set play.  Digne released a free kick into the box and Rabiot was far more aggressive than Locatelli to steer the header over Vicario.

Italy have conceded six goals in a row from a set play scenario.

As Italy continued to pile up pressure, Maignan made his only real save in stoppages to deny Kean from 10 yards as he parried a shot at the near post to keep that two-goal cushion intact.