Zinedine Zidane’s first home game in charge of France ended with a 1-1 draw against Italy in the Nations League on Friday. Visiting keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a string of saves to frustrate fans at Stade de France, while the hosts ended the game with 10 men after Dayot Upamecano’s late dismissal. Michael Olise put France ahead in the 55th minute with a curling shot that went in off the crossbar, following a short free-kick taken by Rayan Cherki.
But poor defending midway through the second half allowed Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni to run through and clip a low shot inside the right post. Moise Kean missed a close-range chance early on for Italy, shooting straight at goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Donnarumma made a double save from Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué early in the second half, then produced a brilliant low save to deny Adrien Rabiot moments after Italy’s equaliser.
Upamecano was sent off late in the game for picking up a second yellow card, but the hosts kept pushing for a winner, and Donnarumma had to claw away Eduardo Camavinga’s shot in stoppage time to preserve a point. We had chances to score a second goal and we didn’t do it. But I am really proud of my players.” The Italy manager, Roberto Mancini, was pleased with his side’s efforts.
The two neighbours meet again on Monday at the Stade de France, while Italy host Turkey in Bologna. Kevin De Bruyne, in his 127th match for the Red Devils, scored the opening goal with a cool finish from the edge of the box, after a nice one-two with Dodi Lukebakio. Turkey posed the greater attacking danger after the Napoli midfielder’s opener but could not find a leveller and were punished just before the hour mark.
De Bruyne claimed his second goal in the 59th minute, curling a ball from the edge of the box past Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir into the top corner. Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s all-time record goalscorer, added a third in the 76th minute, skewing the ball home from Charles De Ketelaere’s low cross. In League B, Northern Ireland stunned Ukraine 3-0 in Slovakia to go clear at the top of their group and boost their hopes of promotion to the top tier.
Ciaron Brown, the only player in Michael O’Neill’s starting lineup over the age of 24, scored twice either side of Isaac Price’s goal in Trnava. The away win puts Northern Ireland on seven points from three games, and they are still yet to concede going into Monday’s clash with Georgia in Belfast. Northern Ireland’s positive start was quickly rewarded as Kieran Morrison floated a corner to the back post where Ruairi McConville headed it back for Brown, earning his 33rd cap, to prod home despite the desperate efforts of Illia Zabarnyi on the line.
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