France were unable to hold on to a lead as Italy fought back for a 1-1 draw at the Stade de France on Friday in the third round of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
The result extended an unusual run against Italy. According to Opta, France failed to win an official match after scoring first for the first time since September 2024 – when they also faced Italy and lost 3-1.
That previous meeting had seen France take the lead after only 13 seconds through Bradley Barcola, but Italy eventually turned the game around. The latest draw means Didier Deschamps’ side again failed to convert an early advantage against the same opponents.
The first half in Paris ended goalless, with neither side able to break through before the interval.
France finally moved ahead 10 minutes into the second half. Rayan Cherki played a short free-kick to Michael Olise, who struck a left-footed effort that hit the crossbar before crossing the line in the 55th minute.
Italy responded 13 minutes later after a costly error from Lucas Da Cunha. The France defender failed to control a pass from Adrien Rabiot, allowing Alessandro Bastoni to win possession in an advanced position.
Bastoni then carried the ball towards goal and finished past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan to restore parity.
The goal was Bastoni’s second in this edition of the Nations League. He had also scored Italy’s opening goal in their 4-1 victory over Turkey a few days earlier.
OptaJean summarised the statistic on social media by writing: “France failed to win a match after opening the scoring for the first time in an official game since September 2024 against… Italy (1-3). Frustrating.” The post was dated 2 October 2026.
France remain top of Group A with seven points from three matches. Belgium are second on six points, while Italy sit third with four. Turkey are bottom without a point.
The draw leaves France ahead of Belgium at the summit but marks another missed opportunity to strengthen their position. Italy, meanwhile, add a point after their victory over Turkey and remain within reach of the leading teams in the group.
