Nations League | France 1-1 Italy: Bastoni seals impressive result in Paris

Italy earned a prestigious 1-1 draw away to Zinedine Zidane’s France, as Alessandro Bastoni cancelled out the Michael Olise effort, with Dayot Upamecano sent off.

The Azzurri made only two changes from the side that won 4-1 in Turkiye, bringing back Riccardo Calafiori at left-back and Moise Kean for the injured Giacomo Raspadori, but the midfield remained intact with Nicolò Barella surprisingly benched after the 2-0 home defeat to Belgium. Brentford right-back Michael Kayode retained his spot after an impressive debut with goal.

France won both Nations League games 1-0 away, but with Kylian Mbappé injured, coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed Como’s Lucas Da Cunha and Juventus man Pierre Kalulu, leaving out Roma midfielder Manu Koné. Milan’s Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot also started.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 02: Mike Maignan of France walks out of the tunnel before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between France and Italy at Stade de France on October 02, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pauline Figuet/Getty Images)

The Azzurri had a huge chance on after eight minutes when Kayode rolled across from the right for what should’ve been a Kean tap-in, but instead the striker scuffed the finish from point-blank range at the back post, allowing Maignan the save.

A Désiré Doué cross was deflected off Sandro Tonali to bounce off the top of the crossbar, while Sebastiano Esposito hit a fresh-air volley in a promising position.

Ousmane Dembélé was offside anyway when stinging Gianluigi Donnarumma’s gloves, but the Nazionale had two big chances on 42 minutes.

First Pio Esposito knocked down the long Kayode throw-in for Frattesi’s effort deflected inches wide. On the resulting corner, Kean did have the ball in the net, but he was flagged offside.

Moise Kean playing for Italy against France in the Nations League (@azzurri)

Each of France’s last 11 goals had come after the break and they threatened it again, but Donnarumma made a fantastic double save, first on the Doué curler, then the Dembélé follow-up from point-blank range.

Donnarumma needed another save on the Michael Olise curler moments later, but the deadlock was broken with a bit of good fortune for France.

The Rayan Cherki free kick just outside the box was flicked on for an Olise thunderbolt that took a deflection off the wall and bounced in off the underside of the crossbar.

Michael Olise scores the opening goal for France against Italy in the Nations League MD3 (@lequipe)

Napoli winger Antonio Vergara came on for his Italy debut, with Kean moved to a centre-forward role. It paid off, because when a Vergara counter-attack was blocked off, Da Cunha was distracted and robbed by a Bastoni surging forward from defence, who fired in from the edge of the area. It was the first goal conceded by Zidane’s France and confirms they have not kept a clean sheet against Italy since the 0-0 in September 2007.

Alessandro Bastoni dedicates his Italy equaliser against France in the Nations League MD3 (@azzurri)

Donnarumma got down for a decisive fingertip save pushing the Rabiot angled drive round the far post, while Doué had timid penalty appeals rejected after an accidental coming together with Barella.

Vergara floated a cross to the back post for the Kean looping header, which Maignan fingertipped onto the top of the crossbar, while Donnarumma flew to palm away the Eduard Camavinga scorcher.

France ended the game with 10 men, as Dayot Upamecano received one yellow card for arguing with Kean, and another for wrestling the striker to the ground.

Barella stumbled and couldn’t get clean contact on the deflected Vergara pull-back from 10 yards, ballooning over.

In stoppages, Donnarumma flew to deny another Camavinga strike, then Bastoni made a decisive sliding tackle on Olise with French penalty appeals rejected.

France 1-1 Italy

Olise 55 (F), Bastoni 68 (I)

Sent off: Upamecano 85 (F)