Italy are top of Nations League Group A1 after Francesco Pio Esposito scored twice in a 3-1 win over France at San Siro on Thursday night — the Azzurri's first home victory over Les Bleus since 1962, sealed after his older brother Sebastiano had missed a penalty.
Roberto Mancini's side knew a win would take them above Zinedine Zidane's France, who arrived in Milan on 10 points and unbeaten under their new coach. Italy had seven points, with Belgium on six after their own 2-1 win in Turkiye earlier in the evening, and the hosts delivered the result the group demanded.
Donnarumma's gift, then the Esposito answer
The night started badly for the home captain. Gianluigi Donnarumma first stuck out a boot to deny Adrien Rabiot's back-post header, then gave the ball away cheaply playing out from the back, gifting it to Michael Olise, who fired France ahead on 10 minutes.
Italy did not panic. Bradley Barcola tested Donnarumma at the near post, but on 26 minutes Davide Frattesi started a move out from the back that ended with Nicolo Cambiaghi pulling the ball back from the left byline for Pio Esposito to prod in off the outside of his boot from close range — the Inter striker's eighth goal for his country, as Football Italia reported in its full match report.
Barcola curled an effort off the base of the far post on 35 minutes, and France — missing the injured Kylian Mbappe along with Ousmane Dembele, Aurelien Tchouameni, William Saliba and Jules Kounde — could not build on their lead before the break.
One brother misses, the other settles it
The second half was frantic. Donnarumma fingertipped a Rayan Cherki effort onto the upright and parried a Rabiot angled drive, before Cambiaghi was brought down by Malo Gusto for a penalty on the hour. Sebastiano Esposito, the unexpected choice, blasted it wide — a golden chance wasted, as the TNT Sports live commentary recorded.
It proved only a warning. Federico Dimarco came off the bench and made an immediate impact: Nicolo Barella won the ball back in midfield, Dimarco pulled it back from the left, and Frattesi turned it in first time from eight yards on 63 minutes for his 10th international goal.
Twelve minutes later Antonio Vergara pounced on a Truffert error and was brought down by Dayot Upamecano. This time Pio Esposito stepped up where his brother had failed, drilling the penalty hard and low into the bottom corner — a cathartic moment for the 21-year-old, who had missed from the spot in the World Cup play-off against Bosnia.
Sunday in Brussels now decides Group A1
The win lifts Italy to 10 points, level with France but top of the group on the head-to-head after last month's 1-1 draw in Paris. Belgium, on nine, host Italy in Brussels on Sunday, while France welcome relegated Turkiye — and only the top two reach the quarter-finals, so Mancini's side cannot afford to lose their final game.
For Zidane, this was a first defeat in charge, and it came with a squad stripped of its biggest names. France still control their own fate against the group's bottom side, but the aura of the new era has its first dent.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This was the night the Esposito brothers became Italy's story — one missed, one delivered twice, and a 64-year wait for a home win over France ended by the younger brother's nerve. Mancini has a penalty-box striker he can trust and a group lead to defend; Zidane has learned that even his France can be beaten when the stars are missing.
Can Italy finish the job in Brussels on Sunday — or will France still top the group by the end of the weekend? Have your say in the comments.
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