Rabiot Brace Sends France to Top of Nations League Group with Win Over Italy

Adrien Rabiot’s brace of headers secured a 3-1 victory for France over Italy at the San Siro on Sunday, propelling them to the top of their Nations League group. Rabiot, who spent time at Juventus, scored twice from set-pieces delivered by Lucas Digne, helping France leapfrog Italy into first place in Group A2 on goal difference, despite both teams having already qualified for the quarter-finals before the match.

Digne, who was also making his 50th appearance for France, played a key role in the second goal. His magnificent free-kick in the 33rd minute struck the crossbar and bounced off Italy’s goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to find the net. This goal put France in a position to move ahead of Italy, but Andrea Cambiaso responded quickly for Italy with a well-executed first-time finish, briefly putting Italy back on top based on their head-to-head record from their earlier 3-1 win in Paris.

However, Rabiot restored France’s lead in the 65th minute, securing a strong finish to what had been a challenging international break for the team. The French squad had already faced a tense goalless draw with Israel and dealt with the unexpected absence of captain Kylian Mbappe, who stayed home without a clear explanation from manager Didier Deschamps.

Rabiot expressed his relief and pride after the match, highlighting the team’s fighting spirit and resilience, calling the win a true reflection of France’s character. Despite their victory, Italy had earned 13 points in a tough group that also included France and Belgium, a strong performance after their disappointing defense of the European Championship title in Germany.

Italy’s performance at the San Siro, where over 68,000 fans gathered, showed a lack of quality in their play. While France dominated possession, Italy’s goal came from a well-worked passing move involving Federico Dimarco and Sandro Tonali, with Cambiaso finishing the chance. Italy’s substitute Moise Kean came close to equalizing late in stoppage time, but his powerful shot was saved by AC Milan’s Mike Maignan.

Italy’s coach, Luciano Spalletti, acknowledged the team’s poor decision-making and mistakes with the ball, but emphasized the importance of maintaining confidence despite the defeat. One of Italy’s ongoing issues has been conceding goals from set-pieces, with the last six goals against them coming in this manner. This vulnerability was evident in the game, compounded by an underwhelming performance from goalkeeper Vicario, who started in place of the injured Gianluigi Donnarumma. Donnarumma, who has faced criticism from fans since his move to PSG from AC Milan, was reportedly left out due to a stomach bug.