Alessandro Bastoni's second-half equaliser checked France's momentum and denied Zinedine Zidane a winning return to the Stade de France as Italy earned a 1-1 Nations League draw in Saint-Denis.
Michael Olise put France ahead with a free-kick in the 55th minute, but Bastoni levelled 13 minutes later. Dayot Upamecano's second booking then left the hosts with ten men for the closing stages, when Gianluigi Donnarumma made another important save to protect Italy's point.
The result leaves France unbeaten after three group matches, but it also showed how quickly control can disappear in an international game decided by a few set-piece moments. Italy recovered from a difficult opening to their campaign and gave Roberto Mancini evidence that his side can absorb pressure without losing its attacking threat.
France control the ball, Italy carry the warning
The goalless first half did not lack danger. France had more of the sustained pressure, yet Italy created two of the clearer openings. Moise Kean tested the home defence early and Davide Frattesi threatened before the interval. Kean also put the ball in the net, only for an offside decision to prevent Italy taking the lead.
That balance mattered. France could move the ball through Rayan Cherki, Adrien Rabiot and Lucas Da Cunha, while Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Olise offered several different one-against-one threats. Italy, however, retained a direct route through Kean and the Esposito forwards whenever possession changed hands.
The pattern made the match more competitive than a simple reading of territory might suggest. France were often the side building attacks, but Italy did not need long spells on the ball to reach useful positions. Their compact shape also asked the hosts to find precision rather than merely volume.
For readers following BetOwl's Football coverage, that distinction is important. Possession can describe where a match is being played without fully measuring which side is producing the more dangerous moments. The expected goals guide explains why the location and quality of chances usually matter more than the raw number of attacks.
Olise's free-kick breaks the deadlock
France increased the tempo after the interval and found the opening goal in the 55th minute. Olise converted a free-kick to give Zidane's team the reward their pressure had been seeking.
It was another decisive contribution from a player who had scored the winner against Belgium earlier in the international window. This time the consequence was different. France did not turn the lead into a period of control, and Italy stayed close enough to respond before the match could settle.
Mancini changed his midfield and forward line shortly after the goal, introducing Nicolò Barella and Antonio Vergara. Those substitutions gave Italy fresh energy while France still had to manage the risk behind their attacking players.
The equaliser arrived in the 68th minute through Bastoni. A centre-back supplying the goal underlined Italy's threat around restarts and crowded penalty-area situations. It also changed the emotional direction of the evening: the Stade de France had been ready to celebrate Zidane's first home victory as national coach, but Italy had made the lead last only 13 minutes.
Upamecano dismissal forces a late retreat
The final change in the contest came from discipline rather than design. Upamecano was booked in the 73rd minute and received a second yellow card in the 85th, leaving France to finish with ten players.
Zidane responded by sending on Maxence Lacroix for Da Cunha two minutes later. That was a necessary defensive adjustment, reducing the space Italy could attack and accepting that preserving the point had become more important than chasing a winner with the same numbers committed forward.
Italy pushed for a late breakthrough, while France still carried counter-attacking quality through their substitutes. Donnarumma's stoppage-time save ensured that the score remained level. The goalkeeper's intervention was a reminder that Italy's recovery did not remove every French threat, even after the match had tilted towards the visitors.
The dismissal should not be treated as the only reason France failed to win. Bastoni had already equalised 17 minutes before Upamecano left the pitch. The red card affected the closing phase, but Italy's point was built through the earlier resilience that kept them within one goal and the set-piece response that restored parity.
What the draw changes in the group
France came into the fixture after 1-0 wins over Turkey and Belgium. Seven points from three matches keeps Zidane's side in a strong position, but the perfect start has ended and the next meeting with Belgium now carries greater weight.
Italy's sequence has moved in the opposite direction. A 2-0 defeat by Belgium was followed by a 4-1 win away to Turkey and then this draw in France. Four points from the latter two matches represent a clear recovery, although Mancini's side still have work to do in a competitive section.
The tactical lesson for France is not that their attacking structure failed. Olise's free-kick and the pressure around Italy's area showed the range of solutions available. The concern is game management after taking the lead. Against an opponent comfortable defending compactly and attacking set pieces, a one-goal advantage remained fragile.
Italy can take encouragement from the way their threat survived long spells without control. Bastoni's equaliser was the visible reward, but the first-half openings and Donnarumma's late work were just as important to the result. Mancini's team found different ways to influence the game at each end of the pitch.
More current reports are available in News. Anyone using this result when considering a bet should account for the sending-off, the short international sample and the changing match state rather than treating one draw as proof of a fixed trend. Betting is for adults aged 18 and over. Set limits, avoid chasing losses and never stake money needed for essential spending.