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Points shared in Nations League A1

The France-Italy match in Zinedine Zidane's first home test ended 1-1. Played at the Stade de France near Paris, France took the lead through Michael Olise, but could not prevent Alessandro Bastoni from bringing Italy level. The hosts finished the closing stages with 10 men after Dayot Upamecano was sent off for a second yellow card.

Both teams created chances in the opening stages. For Italy, Moise Kean missed a big early opportunity, while Davide Frattesi was also among the players who came close in the first half. France, meanwhile, had one of their clearest moments before the break when Olise's delivery into the box clipped the crossbar.

Olise contributes again in his second straight game

Michael Olise, who came off the bench four days earlier against Belgium to score the winning goal, started this time in the XI. The Bayern Munich player put France ahead in the 55th minute, curling a free kick over the wall and in off the crossbar after a touch from Rayan Cherki.

The lead did not last long, however. Alessandro Bastoni levelled the score after a move that developed when Lucas Da Cunha was dispossessed just outside the France penalty area. In the closing stages, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma kept his side in the game with saves from Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele, Adrien Rabiot and Eduardo Camavinga.

A special night for Zidane

The match at the Stade de France, watched by 77,118 fans, drew added attention because it was Zidane's first home game as a coach. Italy were also the side he faced in the final match of his playing career. The 54-year-old icon of French football last played at the national team's stadium in a May 2006 friendly against Mexico.

As Zidane tries to increase his influence on the team during this Nations League campaign, captain Kylian Mbappe was once again absent from the squad. The Real Madrid forward returned to his club after suffering a knee injury while scoring against Turkey last week.

Group standings and next fixtures

After this result, France remain top of UEFA Nations League Group A1. The standings now look like this:

  • France: 7 points
  • Belgium: 6 points
  • Italy: 4 points

Belgium's 3-0 win over Turkey made the race even tighter. France will face Belgium on Monday in their final match of the two-week international window. Italy will host Turkey the same day.

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