Rabiot says Italy punished France’s smallest mistakes in Nations League defeat

Adrian Rabiot said France were made to pay for their mistakes as Italy moved level with them at the top of Nations League Group A with a 3-1 victory at San Siro.

France started strongly and led through Michael Olise’s 10th-minute goal, but Francesco Pio Esposito equalised in the 26th minute before Italy took control after half-time.

Davide Frattesi put the hosts ahead in the 63rd minute and Pio Esposito completed the scoring from the penalty spot 12 minutes later. His brother, Sebastiano Esposito, had earlier missed another penalty during the second half.

“We played a very good first half and created a lot of chances,” France captain Rabiot told reporters after the match. “I think we could have settled the game and killed it off.”

He added: “They scored with their first shot. I know these Italians well if you leave them crumbs, they take them.

“At certain moments we pushed forward with too many players and they punished us during some periods.”

Rabiot returned to the same theme, saying: “We were committing too many players forward, and Italy knew how to punish us for the smallest mistake.”

The midfielder wore the France captain’s armband for the first time in his international career, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele absent because of injury.

The match was played at San Siro, a ground Rabiot knows well because it is where he plays his club football with Milan. France had won 3-1 at the stadium on their previous visit in November 2024, also in the Nations League.

The result moved Italy to 10 points, level with France at the summit of the group. Italy lead on head-to-head record, while the defeat was Zinedine Zidane’s first since he became France manager.

It was also Italy’s first home win against France since 5 May 1962, when they prevailed 2-1 in Florence.

France took the lead in that match through Jean-Claude Piemi in the 28th minute, but Italy’s Jose Altafini scored twice, in the 47th and 51st minutes, to secure victory for the hosts.

The two sides met several times on Italian soil after that game without an Azzurri victory, before Thursday’s result ended the 64-year wait.

France’s defeat leaves the two teams level on points ahead of the next round of Nations League fixtures.