Italy Stages a Stunning Comeback Against France After Donnarumma’s Blunder

A night to remember at San Siro. Italy defeated France with a spectacular comeback, winning 3-1 and securing a crucial victory in the race for qualification. The Azzurri fell behind early on, but fought back and turned the game around with a performance marked by character, quality, and organization. This win also allows them to overtake the French in the standings: the two national teams are tied for first place in the group, but Mancini’s squad is ahead thanks to a better goal differential.

The opening minutes, however, belonged entirely to France. Zidane’s team came out with great aggression and immediately put the Azzurri defense under pressure. After a few chances by Doué and Rabiot, the visitors took the lead in the 10th minute. Donnarumma made a glaring error during a build-up: the Italian goalkeeper completely misplayed a pass and inadvertently set up Olise. The Bayern Munich prospect capitalized, outpacing Bastoni and beating Donnarumma himself with a right-footed shot from close range to make it 1-0.

France continued to press, and Da Cunha tried his luck twice from distance, but failed to hit the target. In the 17th minute, Donnarumma redeemed himself with a fine save to deny Barcola’s attempt. Italy struggled to get a handle on their opponents, but as the minutes passed, they found their confidence and began to venture into the French half with greater conviction. In the 26th minute, the equalizer came, set up by Cambiaghi’s initiative. The Italian forward targeted Malo Gusto, beat him with a burst of speed, and delivered a perfect ball into the center of the box. Pio Esposito beat Upamecano to the ball with a great run and beat Maignan, making it 1-1. For the young center forward, it was yet another testament to his extraordinary form in the national team jersey.

The goal restored confidence to the Azzurri, even as France continued to press forward. In the 35th minute, Barcola comes very close to putting Italy back in the lead, hitting the post with a nice low right-footed shot from the edge of the box. It was the last real chance of a first half in which the French dominated play, especially early on, but Italy did well to respond and capitalize on one of its opportunities.

The pattern remained the same at the start of the second half: France maintained most of the possession, while Italy looked to create space on the counterattack. And it was precisely from one such attacking transition that the play that would change the game unfolded. In the 57th minute, the duel between Cambiaghi and Malo Gusto reignited, with the Italian once again coming out on top. The Chelsea defender brought him down in the box, and referee Kovacs pointed to the penalty spot.

Sebastiano Esposito stepped up to take the penalty, but his shot sailed wildly wide. A huge chance wasted by Italy, which, however, did not let the mistake affect them. In fact, just five minutes later, they scored the go-ahead goal. In the 62nd minute, Dimarco, who had just come on, sent an inviting cross into the center of the box. Frattesi met it, firing a first-time shot past Maignan and sending San Siro into a frenzy. It was a crucial goal, rewarding the Azzurri’s ability to strike at the decisive moments of the match.

France felt the blow and was unable to mount a meaningful response. Italy, on the other hand, gained confidence and, in the 74th minute, found the opportunity to seal the victory once and for all. Upamecano fouled Vergara in the box, and Kovacs awarded the Azzurri another penalty kick. This time, Pio Esposito stepped up to the spot and didn’t miss: a winning strike to make it 3-1. The center forward thus made up for his brother Sebastiano’s mistake and put his stamp on an extraordinary evening. It was his ninth goal for the national team in just 14 appearances.

In the closing minutes, Italy controlled the game without taking any particular risks, managing their lead with discipline and composure until the final whistle. An important victory not only for the result but also for the way it was achieved: after a difficult start and a costly mistake, the Azzurri were able to bounce back, regain their composure, and strike with clinical efficiency.

The 3-1 win allows Italy to tie France at the top of the group and overtake them on goal difference. Qualification and the final standings, however, are still up for grabs: everything will be decided on the final matchday, when Mancini’s team faces Belgium, while the French will take on Turkey. Meanwhile, San Siro is enjoying a night in the spotlight, as the Azzurri pulled off a remarkable comeback.