Stalemate in the opening half

France and Italy met at the Stade de France in the third round of UEFA Nations League Group A1 fixtures. Both managers faced key player absences, with France missing the injured Kylian Mbappe alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Ibrahima Konate, while Italy played without Federico Chiesa, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Federico Dimarco. France controlled territorial possession during the opening forty-five minutes, but the hosts registered only one shot on target. Italy created the most dangerous opportunity of the first half when Moise Kean forced a close-range save from French goalkeeper Mike Maignan. France replied in the 26th minute through Ousmane Dembele, who combined with Rayan Cherki before seeing his attempt stopped by Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Italian central defensive pairing of Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori maintained organization to keep the score level at 0-0 at the interval.

Second-half breakthrough and quick equalizer

France increased their attacking pace immediately after the restart, creating several chances in the opening ten minutes of the second half. In the 48th minute, Donnarumma produced saves against quick attempts from Desire Doue and Dembele, before denying another strike from Michael Olise in the 50th minute. The opening goal arrived in the 55th minute from a set piece when Cherki tapped a free kick into the path of Olise. Olise struck a curling shot that hit the underside of the crossbar and entered the top right corner of the net. Italy equalized in the 68th minute following an error in the French build-up. Da Cunha failed to control a pass in his own defensive third, enabling Bastoni to intercept the ball and shoot past Maignan from just outside the penalty box.

Match chronology and late dismissal

France attempted to restore their lead in the final quarter of an hour, but their rhythm was disrupted by disciplinary sanctions. In the 85th minute, French defender Dayot Upamecano received a second yellow card and was sent off, leaving the home side with ten players for the remainder of the match. France adjusted their shape to defend the draw during regulation and stoppage time. Italy moved forward into the opposing half but did not produce a clear scoring chance against Maignan before the final whistle. The match ended level before a capacity crowd at the Stade de France.

Group A1 standings and managerial records

The 1-1 draw represents the first dropped points for France under manager Zinedine Zidane, who replaced Didier Deschamps following a fourth-place finish at the World Cup. Zidane opened his tenure with consecutive 1-0 victories against Turkey and Belgium in Group A1. Italy, coached by returning manager Roberto Mancini, had recovered from an opening 2-0 home loss against Belgium by defeating Turkey 4-1 away prior to their trip to Saint-Denis. Mancini previously led Italy to the Euro 2021 title, though the Italian national team missed three consecutive World Cups during a period in which France recorded a championship, a runners-up finish, and a fourth-place tournament result.