What an evening on the Parc des Princes!
The ghosts of Euro 2024 got here to hang-out Italy because the Azzurri conceded one purpose simply 14 seconds (!) after kicking off their Nations League marketing campaign in opposition to France on Friday night time. However then, Italy put themselves again on monitor and one way or the other conjured a sounding win, powered by targets from Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi, and Giacomo Raspadori.
The Azzurri had not crushed France in 16 years and had misplaced in opposition to Les Bleus of their final three encounters. It was an evening to recollect, and hopefully step one towards rebuilding the belief in Luciano Spalletti’s Nazionale from the particles left by the disastrous European marketing campaign. Now, Azzurri, please stick with it.
Spalletti lined up his aspect in a 3-5-1-1 style. He one way or the other reshaped his defensive position, transferring Giovanni Di Lorenzo in a again three function alongside Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori. with Andrea Cambiaso and Dimarco deployed as wing-backs. Within the midfield, the Tuscany-born coach welcomed again Sandro Tonali after he completed serving his betting ban and positioned him between Inter’s Frattesi and Torino’s Samuele Ricci.
Upfront, Lorenzo Pellegrini was anticipated to hyperlink up with Mateo Retegui, however the partnership didn’t fairly work.
The entire Parc des Princes singing La Marseillaise was an intense, touching introduction to the sport. Then, motion kicked off and issues instantly took a foul flip for Italy. You’d anticipate that they’d discovered one thing from the Euro catastrophe however it was a useless hope.
Frattesi’s first contact within the recreation was a again go for Di Lorenzo however the Napoli stalwart was taken unexpectedly. Bradley Barcola couldn’t ask for something higher as he promptly dispossessed him of the ball and dashed into the Azzurri‘s field. When he fired it previous Gianluigi Donnarumma, there have been simply fourteen seconds on the clock – lower than it had taken for Nedim Bajrami to open the scoring in Italy’s debut recreation at Euro 2024. Speak about good begins.
Barcola’s early opener may have simply paved the way in which for the Azzurri‘s journey to Paris turning right into a rout and, certainly, the primary jiffy have been an absolute nightmare for Spalletti’s band, with the PSG starlet and Kylian Mbappé persevering with to wreak havoc from the left channel.
However Italy’s response lastly got here, quick and sudden. Frattesi’s header from a Cambiaso suggestion on 5 minutes hit the crossbar however a minimum of confirmed that there was some life within the Azzurri. Slowly however certainly, Italy regained their composure and began to carry their very own in opposition to an infinitely extra technically gifted French aspect, regardless of committing many errors with even essentially the most fundamental passes.
The reward was a implausible purpose that got here on half-hour, courtesy of Dimarco. The 26-year-old Azzurri wing-back volleyed the ball house after brilliantly exchanging it with Tonali, who served him with a nice again heel go. At half time, the rating was 1-1 because the Azzurri appeared to have weathered France’s storm regardless of a nightmarish begin.
Giacomo Raspadori got here in for Pellegrini after the break. Spalletti was anticipating a greater entente between the Roma captain and Retegui, however Pellegrini’s solely advantage within the first half was kicking off the motion that led to Frattesi hitting the crossbar.
Sending in Raspadori proved to be the best alternative as, after squandering a great probability, the Napoli man promptly redeemed himself by placing his stamp on the proceedings that resulted in Italy’s second purpose. With 51 minutes on the clock, Milan’s new signing Youssuf Fofana misplaced the ball at midfield as Frattesi triggered Italy’s counterattack and served Raspadori.
The Neapolitan’s development alongside France’s defensive half ended with a nice go for Retegui, whose service for Frattesi in the course of the field was changed into Italy’s second by the Inter midfielder. Frattesi got here near discovering the online once more on 59 minutes however was denied by Mike Maignan, who needed to go above and past to push his header off track.
However the Azzurri have been now surprisingly in management, regardless of two accidents picked up by Frattesi himself and by Calafiori and the a number of substitutions operated by a puzzled Didier Deschamps: The French gaffer despatched in Manu Koné and Ousmane Dembélé, finally additionally including Inter’s Marcus Thuram a couple of minutes later, along with Jules Koundé and Warren Zaïre-Emery.
However, Spalletti’s modifications had way more of an influence. Future Udogie, specifically, embellished his comeback with the Azzurri with an excellent help for Raspadori, who dashed previous William Saliba and slotted the ball previous Maignan, making it 3-1 for Italy on 72 minutes.
Italy didn’t danger conceding within the final 20 minutes as Les Bleus appeared to haven’t any gas left within the tank. The Azzurri handled themselves and their followers with an outstanding night time on the Parc des Princes. And, all of us wanted it a lot.
MATCH SCORECARD
September 6, 2024 – Nations League
FRANCE – ITALY 1-3
SCORERS: 1′ Barcola (F), 30′ Dimarco (I), 51′ Frattesi (I), 74′ Raspadori (I)
| FRANCE (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Clauss (77′ Koundé), Konaté, Saliba, T. Hernandez; Fofana (58′ Koné), Kanté (77′ Zaire-Emery); Griezmann (77′ M. Thuram), Olise (58′ Dembélé), Barcola; Mbappé (Samba, Areola, Digne, Upamecano, Guendouzi, Kolo Muani) Coach: Deschamps | |
 | ITALY (3-5-1-1): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bastoni, Calafiori (71′ Buongiorno); Cambiaso, Frattesi (61′ Udogie), Tonali, Ricci, Dimarco (80′ Brescianini); Pellegrini (46′ Raspadori); Retegui (81′ Kean) (Vicario, Meret, Gatti, Okoli, Bellanova, Fagioli, Zaccagni) Coach: Spalletti |
REFEREE: Mr. Scharer (Switzerland)
NOTES: Yellow Playing cards: Koné (F), Retegui (I); Added Time: 1st Half 0′, 2nd Half 5′
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