Milan, Oct. 2 (LaPresse) – A strong Italy held France to a draw in Paris in the third match of the Nations League group stage. Last night, at the Stade de France, the Azzurri played with character and determination, withstanding the pressure from Les Bleus while also creating several chances of their own. Donnarumma was outstanding and, with a series of decisive saves, kept Italy in the game, denying goals to Doué, Dembélé, Olise, Rabiot and Camavinga. France took the lead with a superb free kick from Olise in the 55th minute, but thirteen minutes later Bastoni scored his second consecutive goal for the Azzurri, capitalizing on a mistake by the French defense and restoring parity. Kean squandered a great chance in the first half and had a goal ruled out for offside, but late in the game he contributed to Upamecano’s sending-off. France thus finished the match with ten men, while Italy also came close to pulling off a shock win and took home a deserved draw. On Monday evening, the Azzurri will be back on the pitch in Bologna against Turkey. “We knew it would be a very tough match, we did well to concede very little. It was a really tough game,” Italy head coach Roberto Mancini told RaiSport after the match. “We did everything as a team, it was a very positive evening. I wanted it to be another step forward in our journey of improvement. They are an extraordinary team, full of champions, but we always tried to play and go for a goal. When we had to suffer, we suffered, but we always kept trying, and that’s very good,” he concluded.
Football: Nations League, France-Italy 1-1. Mancini: “We played as a team”
Milan, Oct. 2 (LaPresse) – A strong Italy held France to a draw in Paris in the third match of the Nations League group stage. Last night, at the Stade de France, the Azzurri played with character and determination, withstanding the pressure from Les Bleus while also creating several chances of their own. Donnarumma was outstanding and, with a series of decisive saves, kept Italy in the game, denying goals to Doué, Dembélé, Olise, Rabiot and Camavinga. France took the lead with a superb free kick from Olise in the 55th minute, but thirteen minutes later Bastoni scored his second consecutive goal for the Azzurri, capitalizing on a mistake by the French defense and restoring parity. Kean squandered a great chance in the first half and had a goal ruled out for offside, but late in the game he contributed to Upamecano’s sending-off. France thus finished the match with ten men, while Italy also came close to pulling off a shock win and took home a deserved draw. On Monday evening, the Azzurri will be back on the pitch in Bologna against Turkey. “We knew it would be a very tough match, we did well to concede very little. It was a really tough game,” Italy head coach Roberto Mancini told RaiSport after the match. “We did everything as a team, it was a very positive evening. I wanted it to be another step forward in our journey of improvement. They are an extraordinary team, full of champions, but we always tried to play and go for a goal. When we had to suffer, we suffered, but we always kept trying, and that’s very good,” he concluded.