Michael Olise scored a first-half free kick before Alessandro Bastoni equalized as France finished with 10 men at the Stade de France.
France was held to a 1-1 draw by Italy on Friday at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis in the UEFA Nations League, spoiling Zinédine Zidane’s first home game as manager.
Michael Olise opened the scoring for France with a free kick, giving the hosts the lead. Alessandro Bastoni answered in the second half with an equalizing goal for Italy, who were guided by manager Roberto Mancini. France later played with 10 men after defender Dayot Upamecano received a red card.
With Kylian Mbappé sidelined by an injury, Ousmane Dembélé captained the French national team. Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made several key stops to keep the match level, denying France a third consecutive victory in Group A1 after Les Bleus entered the night with a perfect record through two matches.
Zidane said France deserved more from the contest, noting Italy defended well and adding that he was satisfied with his squad’s performance but not the final scoreline. Mancini called the draw a crucial test of maturity and another step forward for his side, praising Italy for playing as a team.
Zidane also highlighted the display of 21-year-old Liverpool defender Jérémy Jacquet, who played his second full 90-minute match in a row for the national team. Zidane praised Jacquet’s maturity and tactical discipline, calling the youngster’s performance “very good, very, very good.”
