Mancini's tactical tweak sparks Italy's revival against France
Italy secured a major victory in Roberto Mancini's new era on Thursday the 12th. In a packed San Siro, the Azzurra defeated França 3‑1 in the fifth round of group 1 of the Liga, after a poor start that turned around in the second half. França opened the scoring early when a mistake by Gianluigi Donnarumma on a ball loss allowed Michael Olise to fire a right‑footed shot past him.
Despite being “on the ropes”, the home side equalised before halftime thanks to a gap in the opponent’s right‑back position. The Italian generation, rich in talent across the pitch, still lacks a clear first‑choice right winger or a player in form. Malo Gusto of Chelsea, described as irregular and defensively limited, started and delivered a poor performance. Nicolò Cambiaghi pressed high on Gusto, leaving him trailing to cross for Francesco Pio Esposito to anticipate the marking.
Second‑half surge and penalty drama
In the second half, which highlighted Italy’s offensive evolution and a French decline, the Italian left winger earned a penalty on Gusto after winning a one‑on‑one duel. Sebastian Esposito, Pio’s brother, missed the spot‑kick. Gusto then erred again, conceding the third goal from a Federico Dimarco cross that gave Davide Frattesi the chance to level. The move also showcased an interesting Mancini solution before the third goal, involving Pio Esposito, a penalty won by Antonio Vergara and conceded by Dayot Upamecano.
Assessing Italy’s options
Italy’s options in almost every position are excellent, good or at least regular. In attack, apart from Pio Esposito, the wingers remain a genuine problem. Right‑winger Sebastian Esposito, with his missed penalty and negligible involvement, displayed his limitations. Cambiaghi, although solid, is not an above‑average talent. The left‑wing role was eventually taken over by Dimarco, Inter’s left‑back who set the Serie A assist record with 17 last season and was named the league’s best player.
Com Riccardo Calafiori, a defender by trade, deployed as full‑back, offers an intriguing way to free the player to attack with less defensive duty and influence the final third. Malo Gusto gave minimal space while Dimarco delivered a perfect pass to Frattesi. This could become a future solution: a double full‑back pairing still needing a right‑side specialist. The 23‑year‑old Vergara entered on the right, showed personality and may earn continuity, underscoring Italy’s need for renewal.
French dominance and Italian response
The first half was characterised by França’s dominance of possession and attacking zones. The visitors applied sixteen minutes of pressure and created numerous chances. Besides Olise’s goal, Donnarumma had to work hard to deny Adrien Rabiot and Bradley Barcola. Lucas da Cunha nearly scored a spectacular long‑range effort that brushed the post. When France’s guard dropped, they conceded. Italy equalised and could have taken the lead with a strike from Sebastian Esposito saved by Mike Maignan. The French failed to regain their earlier rhythm, though Barcola almost equalised again with a shot that hit the post. In the final stage, França sent a ball onto the post with Cherki and forced a good save from Donnarumma on a Rabiot attempt. A moment that highlighted French distraction in the second half saw Cherki hold the ball in the box, feint and miss a big chance. Italy, on the other hand, did not waste its opportunities and treated every chance seriously. Only three minutes separated Sebastian Esposito’s missed penalty from Frattesi’s goal. Half an hour later, the third goal arrived.