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France recovered in San Siro against an Italy that arrived perfectly, leaving with a good victory that allows it to advance in first place to the final round of the UEFA Nations League. The party, which can be seen on Disney+ (only for South America), allowed the Gauls to clean up their image after a pale and sad draw against Israel at home. Adrien Rabiot of France (right) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the 1-3 goal during the match of the UEFA Nations League between Italy and France at the San Siro stadium in Milan (Italy), on November 17, 2024. Pro Shots
The meeting in which Blue She arrived as a favorite and undefeated, it was broken quickly for the French. At 2′, Adrien Rabiot won from above on a corner and beat the goal defended by William Vicarwho could do nothing. The goal was a symptom of the problems that the locals would suffer from set pieces.
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And although Spalletti’s team began to play and progress well on the field, they would receive a blow that was difficult to digest. Lucas Dignefrom a free kick, took a left foot shot that went directly into Vicario’s corner. A goal that seemed to bring the game down.
But the Blue He would not lower his arms, and would manage to translate that collective understanding into a quick discount. An overflow of Federico Dimarco found a center to a Andrea Cambiaso that connected with a volley and left no chance for Mike Maignan.
Italy, involuntarily, got back into the game and anything could happen.
2 Related
In the complement also to the Blue It took a lot for him to hurt France, and he ended up suffering that impossibility in his goal. Once again, his two executioners would appear: Rabiot and Digne. This time, again, by air. The winger threw a cross and the midfielder connected to beat Vicario.
The goal, now, would end up settling the dispute. And to give you a unexpected? first place to France in Group 2 by goal difference, since both finished with 13 points and the first tiebreaker was the matches between them (each won one).
In what ways did Italy’s performance in the second half differ from their first, and what factors contributed to their inability to secure a win despite creating more opportunities?
Guest 1: Hello, I’m Fabrice De Almeida from ESPN. Can you tell us about your experience covering this match between Italy and France in the UEFA Nations League?
Guest 2: Hello Fabrice! It was an exciting match to cover, especially considering the anticipation leading up to it. Both teams arrived undefeated in Group 2, so there was a lot at stake. As for the actual game, I thought Italy had a strong start but ultimately struggled with France’s set pieces and free kicks. Their defense seemed vulnerable in those situations, which proved costly.
Guest 1: Absolutely, the set pieces were indeed a key factor in this match. Can you expand on that? How did France capitalize on them through Adrien Rabiot’s goal, and was there anything surprising about how Italy responded to that threat?
Guest 2: Yes, France’s first goal from a corner kicked by Adrien Rabiot set the tone for the rest of the game. It caught Italy off guard and exposed some of their weaknesses when defending set pieces. They did improve later on, particularly with Federico Dimarco’s assist to Andrea Cambiaso, but it was ultimately not enough to overcome Lucas Digne’s well-placed free kick. As for Italy’s response, they showed determination and resilience by bouncing back with a goal of their own through Cambiaso’s volley. However, they struggled to maintain that momentum throughout the game.
Guest 1: Speaking of Italy’s response, what did you make of their overall performance? They seemed to have some promising moments, particularly in the second half, yet still fell short. Any insights on what might have been holding them back?
Guest 2: Italy played quite well creating several chances and even managing to equalize the score. Their issue seemed to be finishing those chances, especially against a disciplined French defense. There were also some miscommunication issues on the pitch that led to unforced errors, which cost them dearly. Additionally, their lack of experience with certain players like Andrea Cambiaso could have been a factor; he played very well but might not have been as familiar with the system as some of the more established players.
Guest 1: Moving on
