Italy Stuns France In Paris With Dramatic Comeback

Italy took on hosts France in their UEFA Nations League opener at the Stade de France.

Just 12 seconds into the match, Bradley Barcola put his name into the history books by scoring the fastest goal ever recorded for the French national team.

Despite this fast start, France could not hold onto their lead, ultimately succumbing to Italy with a 3-1 defeat.

The Fastest of Starts for France

Italy’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo received the ball from kick-off but seemed complacent, allowing Bradley Barcola to swoop in and snatch the ball away from him.

Barcola showed great composure, striding through on goal to dispatch his first-ever international goal into the back of the net. This historic strike, occurring just seconds after the start, marked a personal triumph for Barcola and also set the record for the fastest goal by a French player in the nation’s history.

However, the atmosphere quickly shifted as Italy regrouped after the shock of conceding so early.

Just minutes after the opener, the Azzurri came close to equalizing when Andrea Cambiaso kept a corner alive. He found Davide Frattesi, who, despite being unmarked inside the six-yard box, could only manage to direct his header onto the crossbar.

This near miss indicated that Italy was not phased by the fast start by France and was determined to fight back.

Italy’s Resilience and Tactical Brilliance

As the first half progressed, it became evident that Italy had settled into their game plan.

Despite their shaky start, the team began to dominate possession and create opportunities. Their efforts paid off at the half-hour mark in spectacular fashion.

Federico Dimarco and Sandro Tonali executed a beautiful one-two just outside the penalty area before Dimarco unleashed a thunderous volley into the top corner, leaving French goalkeeper Mike Maignan no chance.

France struggled to respond effectively to the Italian attack, which consistently pressured their defense.

As the second half commenced, Italy continued to apply pressure, and it wasn’t long before they came up with another goal.

Mateo Retegui demonstrated his creative vision with a clever square pass for Frattesi, who, following up on his earlier miss, slotted the ball neatly into the net from close range. It was clear that Italy had established a firm grip on the game.

The Italian control

Following Frattesi’s goal, the Italian side, boosted by their commanding performance, sought to extend their lead further.

Substitutes played an essential role in their continued success, with Destiny Udogie’s impactful entry bringing fresh energy to the attack. Udogie, from the left flank, delivered a perfectly weighted pass to Giacomo Raspadori, who calmly finished with precision, scoring his first international goal on foreign soil in almost two years.

This sequence of events effectively silenced the home crowd, and by the time the final whistle blew, it was clear France was left confronted with their underwhelming performance.

The loss marked yet another disappointing chapter in France’s recent Nations League campaigns, where they have managed only one win in their last seven matches, a far cry from their glory in winning the inaugural tournament in 2021.