France secured a 3-1 victory over Italy in Milan, successfully avenging their previous loss without star player Kylian Mbappé.
For Italy, the equation was simple: a draw, or even a loss by less than two goals, would see them finish top of the group. For France, the challenge was much greater. Not only did they need a win to top the group, but they also needed at least a two-goal margin to settle an old score. Despite being without Mbappé, France met every objective and are now celebrating their triumph.
In the UEFA Nations League’s Group 2, France triumphed 3-1 over Italy in Milan on Sunday. Italy had been undefeated in their previous five matches and sat at the top of the group, but the final result turned everything around. France handed Italy their first defeat and overtook them to claim the top spot.
But the biggest goal for France was revenge. Two and a half months ago, Italy had beaten France 3-1 in Paris. This time, France went to Milan and returned the favor with an identical scoreline.
After the match, goalkeeper Mike Maignan expressed his satisfaction: “We wanted to win, we went there for revenge. After losing at home like that, it was a matter of restoring our pride…”
There had been criticism of France’s performance in their goalless draw against Israel last Thursday, especially with the lack of an official explanation for Mbappé’s absence, which sparked controversy. But now, France has moved past those concerns, having secured this vital win.
The standout player for France was Adrien Rabiot, whose two goals helped secure the victory. He was delighted to see the team perform with such dominance: “It’s been a long time since we played a match like this. Our goal was to win by two goals. Our aggression, team unity, and positive attitude were amazing.”
France’s coach Didier Deschamps has been using the Nations League matches as an opportunity to build the team and test many young players. He was pleased with the result: “Our squad is very young. We wanted to try out many players, and to beat a confident Italian team here is a fantastic performance.”
