Pio Esposito turns penalty into triumph – brothers thrill Italy
After the victory over France, the unlucky Esposito brothers thrilled Italy when Pio Esposito scored the 3: 1 in the Nations League from the penalty spot, deciding the match. The two brothers embraced after the goal, tears in the eyes of the 21‑year‑old striker, and celebrated the moment at the San Siro.
Also thanks to the Esposito brothers, the Italians' form curve is trending upward, even though the evening took different twists. Pio Esposito slipped across the San Siro pitch, straight into his brother's arms. The sibling pair embraced for several seconds, tears were in the eyes of the 21‑year‑old player.
Pio’s Penalty Secures Lead Against France
After his penalty to make it 3: 1, the striker said that the joy lay in having decided the game and having redeemed the penalty missed by his brother. The goal gave Italy the lead against France in the Nations League and “disenchanted” the French playmaker. He dubbed the evening a “crazy evening”, because Pio thrilled the crowd with a double, while his three‑year‑older brother Sebastiano missed the chance to give Italy the lead in the 60th minute.
Sebastiano wrote on Instagram after the match that he would dream of the missed penalty, and sent a laughing‑crying emoji expressly to his brother. After three appearances for the A‑team, Sebastiano is still waiting for his first international goal, while Pio ridiculed his brother's miss and nurtures Italian dreams.
Esposito rescues Italy with equaliser against France in Nations League
Sibling Drama Shapes Italian Hope
Tuttosport cheered that the victory at the San Siro “gives us back something we have lost in these sad years”. It wrote that the success could be a fresh start for the Italian national team. After three missed World Cup appearances, the form curve under coach Roberto Mancini finally shows an upward trend again, not least thanks to a “predator called Pio”.
Pio Esposito scored nine goals in his first 14 games for the Squadra Azzurra; against France he equalised in the 26th minute and celebrated the goal together with his brother. When the scorer netted his second goal in the 75th minute, the brothers repeated the ritual, which brought double relief.
A few months earlier, Pio had missed a penalty at the “Shame of Zenica” when Italy left the stadium in Bosnia with heads bowed. Pio explained that after a missed penalty one must have the courage to take it again.
Condò praises the symphony against France in the Nations League
Perhaps Sebastiano will succeed already on Sunday, as Italy still faces the duel with Belgium. In September the brothers were in the starting lineup together for the first time, the first brother pair in 111 years. A possible trio could consist of the older brother, the 26‑year‑old Salvatore, who made his only A‑team appearance under Mancini in 2022 and currently plays only in the second Italian league.