Italy 3-1 France — Mancini's young Italy are on the rise as 21-year-old Pio Esposito scores twice [UEFA Nations League]
2026-11-13
UEFA Nations League 2026-27 League A Group 1, Matchday 5: Italy hosted France and came away with a 3-1 win.
Eight months after missing a third straight World Cup, Roberto Mancini's rebuilt Italy came from behind to beat Zinedine Zidane's France. Pio Esposito, 21, scored twice and now has four goals in the competition.
The Italy that missed the World Cup are changing — Mancini's young side beat France 3-1
Italy came from behind to beat France 3-1 at San Siro in Milan on matchday 5 of Group 1 in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League A. Michael Olise put France ahead after 10 minutes, but 21-year-old Pio Esposito equalised on 26 minutes and added a penalty on 75, and Davide Frattesi scored the winner in between on 63. Italy missed the World Cup in March and brought back Roberto Mancini in the summer, and they have played this autumn with a much younger side. That new team handed Zinedine Zidane's France their first defeat in the competition. The attendance was 71,452.
From a third straight World Cup miss to Mancini's return
On 31 March 2026 Italy drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European World Cup qualifying play-offs and lost the penalty shoot-out 4-1. After Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, it was a third World Cup in a row without Italy. Gennaro Gattuso left, and on 28 July Mancini was appointed for a second time. Mancini took over in 2018, straight after Italy had missed that World Cup, rebuilt the side around young players and won EURO 2020 (played in 2021). Now he has been handed the same job again.
Six changes from March, and the average age down from 27.2 to 24.9
Italy's starting XI against Bosnia played a 3-5-2 with an average age of 27.2 (calculated from the dates of birth in ESPN's match records, as of each match day). Against France they played a 4-3-3 with an average age of 24.9. Only five players started both games: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Riccardo Calafiori, Sandro Tonali and Nicolò Barella. Michael Kayode, 22, played right-back and Giorgio Scalvini, 22, was at right centre-back, while the front three were Nicolò Cambiaghi, 25, on the left, Pio Esposito, 21, in the middle and his older brother Sebastiano Esposito, 24, on the right. Barella, Tonali and Frattesi in midfield gave experience between the young back line and attack. France played a 4-2-3-1: Mike Maignan in goal behind Adrien Truffert, Dayot Upamecano, Jérémy Jacquet and Malo Gusto, Adrien Rabiot and Lucas Da Cunha in midfield, and Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki and Olise behind Bradley Barcola.
Behind early but not rattled — Pio Esposito levels on 26 minutes
France started on top. In the ninth minute Donnarumma saved Rabiot's header from a Doué cross, and a minute later Olise struck with his right foot from the middle of the box into the bottom right corner. Italy did not panic. On 26 minutes Pio Esposito turned in Cambiaghi's pass from the left of the six-yard box to make it 1-1. On 35 minutes Barcola, set up by Olise on the break, hit the right post, and Donnarumma made several saves before half-time. Italy got through a difficult spell and went in level.
A minute after the substitutions — Dimarco comes on and sets up Frattesi
On 58 minutes Gusto brought down Cambiaghi and Italy had a penalty, but on 60 minutes Sebastiano Esposito put it wide to the right. Mancini acted. On 62 minutes he took off Sebastiano Esposito and Cambiaghi for 23-year-old Antonio Vergara and Federico Dimarco. A minute later Dimarco crossed from the left and Frattesi finished with his left foot into the bottom left corner to make it 2-1 — one minute after the changes.
The younger brother scores the penalty his brother missed
On 74 minutes the substitute Vergara was fouled in the box by Upamecano for Italy's second penalty of the night. This time Pio Esposito took it and scored with his right foot into the bottom left corner to make it 3-1 — the younger brother making up for his brother's miss. Mancini had replaced the booked Frattesi with 23-year-old Issa Doumbia on 73 minutes, and in stoppage time he took off Barella and Pio Esposito for Samuele Ricci and Gianluca Scamacca to see the game out. Zidane brought on Saël Kumbedi, Junior Kroupi, Senny Mayulu and Andy Diouf on 76-77 minutes and Eduardo Camavinga on 82, but Olise's free kick and late long-range shot both missed the target.
Pio Esposito, 21, has four goals in the competition — and Italy have six different scorers
Pio Esposito scored once in each of the two games against Türkiye (4-1 away and 3-1 at home) and twice against France, making him Italy's top scorer in the competition with four. The 21-year-old Inter striker is becoming the new goalscorer of the Mancini era. Italy have scored 11 goals in five games, shared between six players: Pio Esposito with four, Bastoni and Frattesi with two each, and 22-year-old Kayode, Calafiori and Scamacca with one each. Rather than relying on one star, this is a team in which young and experienced players alike can score.
Winning without the ball — 35% possession, five shots on target each
France had 65% of the ball and outshot Italy 18 to 11, but both sides had five shots on target. Italy made 15 interceptions and 31 clearances to absorb France's attacks, and Donnarumma made four saves. Even with less of the ball, Italy were better when they won it back and went forward, and they made their few chances count.
Unbeaten in four since a losing start, and Italy top the group going into a decider in Belgium
Mancini's first game back, the opener in September, ended in a 2-0 home defeat by Belgium. Since then Italy have beaten Türkiye twice, drawn 1-1 with France in October and now beaten them: four games unbeaten, with three wins and a draw. Italy and France are level on 10 points in Group 1, with Italy top on goal difference and on their head-to-head record. Belgium are third on 9 points, and Türkiye have lost all five games. The top two go through to the quarter-finals in March 2027. On the final matchday Italy travel to Brussels to face Belgium, the team that beat them in the opener: a win makes them group winners, and a defeat means Belgium go above them. It is a test of whether the rebuild of a team that missed the World Cup is the real thing.
See the Belgium vs Italy predicted lineupsVenue: San Siro (Stadio Giuseppe Meazza)
- Location
- Milan, Italy
- Capacity
- 75,923
Shared by Inter and AC Milan, and one of Italy's largest stadiums. The attendance for this match was 71,452.
Italy
Formation: 4-3-3
- GKGianluigi Donnarumma
- LSBRiccardo Calafiori
- LCBAlessandro Bastoni
- RCBGiorgio Scalvini
- RSBMichael Kayode
- LCMFNicolò Barella
- DMFSandro Tonali
- RCMFDavide Frattesi
- LWGNicolò Cambiaghi
- CFPio Esposito
- RWGSebastiano Esposito
Italy set up in a 4-3-3. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Riccardo Calafiori, Alessandro Bastoni and others were named in the starting XI.
France
Formation: 4-2-3-1
- GKMike Maignan
- LSBAdrien Truffert
- LCBDayot Upamecano
- RCBJérémy Jacquet
- RSBMalo Gusto
- LDMFAdrien Rabiot
- RDMFLucas Da Cunha
- LAMDésiré Doué
- CAMRayan Cherki
- RAMMichael Olise
- CFBradley Barcola
France set up in a 4-2-3-1. Mike Maignan, Adrien Truffert, Dayot Upamecano and others were named in the starting XI.
Match Summary
UEFA Nations League 2026-27 League A Group 1 Matchday 5: Italy vs France finished 3-1. Italy lined up in a 4-3-3.