Italy are back: they stood up to France despite the French side’s command of possession and play. For Zidane, the match at home brought a first setback. Olise’s goal was not enough to maintain the French coach’s perfect run, after Bastoni equalised and City’s goalkeeper delivered a major performance.
France appeared to dominate comfortably. Doué, Olise and Cherki found space and pace as they approached the penalty area, but their attacks came to nothing. The match was intense and quick, yet Dembélé had no clear ball to work with. Italy, by contrast, looked comfortable without possession and silenced the Stade de France on the counterattack.
After the break, the Italian wall eventually gave way, but Donnarumma took centre stage. His many saves kept his team in the match. A double save against Olise and Dembélé, followed by interventions against shots from Camavinga, Rabiot and Olise, lifted an Italy side driven by strong conviction. Even the best Donnarumma could do nothing about Olise’s superb goal. Camavinga kept trying from distance, but the goalkeeper ultimately secured Italy’s resistance.
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