France have managed to beat Italy and steal the top spot in Group 2. They needed to win by 2 goals today to take the place and they have managed to do just that.
Italy went into the game confident as they were on a winning run, while France had drawn 0-0 to Israel last week. However, Adrien Rabiot gave them an early lead to stun the Italian fans in the stadium.
Lucas Digne’s stunning freekick then deflected off Vicario and went in to make it 2-0. A quick counter saw Italy pull one back just 2 minutes later but that was their best effort today.
Rabiot scored with another header in the second half to seal a 3-1 win.
Italy Player Ratings vs France
Goalkeeper
Guglielmo Vicario – 4.5: Should be doing a lot better for all the goals. While the freekick was simply too good, he never seemed in position to save the headers from Rabiot.
Defenders
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6.5: Decent match but just not good enough today. Never managed to keep Thuram in check and gave him too much time on the ball.
Alessandro Buongiorno – 6: Never looked set and was very often confused about whom he should mark. The Italian center-back was drawn out of position a lot with ease.
Alessandro Bastoni – 7: Another solid performance from Bastoni while everyone around him was unable to do much defensively.
Midfielders
Andrea Cambiaso – 7.5: Exceptional on the right flank, and the goal was simply too good. It was more down to the assist, but he kept his composure when needed on the pitch.
Davide Frattesi – 6: Gave away the freekick that resulted in France’s second goal. Not his best game for Italy, but not as bad as the others in the heart of the midfield.
Manuel Locatelli – 5: Never managed to get himself into the game and his best contribution was a shot from outside the box. It did not threaten Maignan, but that was the best he could do.
Sandro Tonali – 5: The Newcastle midfielder was a bit rusty in the middle of the park and left big spaces on counters.
Federico Dimarco – 8: Up and down the left flank today but he spent most of the time in attack. The assist was too good today but just not enough to get his side back in the game.
Nicolò Barella – 7: Kept trying until the end but just did not have enough support on the pitch.
Forwards
Mateo Retegui – 6: The Serie A player of the month for October was looking to show his class today, but never got a chance. He was isolated from his teammates he failed to get a single shot away in his 66 minutes on the pitch.
Substitutes
Moise Kean – 6.5
Nicolò Rovella – 7
Giacomo Raspadori – 6
Daniel Maldini – 6
Destiny Udogie – 6
Manager
Luciano Spalleti – 6
France player ratings vs Italy
Goalkeeper
Mike Maignan– 7: The AC Milan shot-stopper was excellent and dictated terms from the back.
Defenders
Jules Koundé – 6: Not his best game as he was having trouble keeping quiet. Easily the worst player on the pitch in the defensive third for France.
Ibrahima Konaté – 6.5: Was able to keep Retegui quiet today and never gave the Italian forwards a chance to have an easy shot at goal.
William Saliba – 6.5: Quick off the blocks at every chance and closed down the Italian forwards to stop them from getting easy shots on goals.
Lucas Digne – 9: Two assists from setpieces and then a spectacular freekick that bounced off the goalkeeper and went in. Solid defensively as well and easily the man of the match today.
Midfielders
Mattéo Guendouzi – 7: Could have easily ended with a better rating but got booked late in the game. Was doing all the dirty work today to ensure Italy did not get back into the game.
Manu Koné – 7: Stayed back and defended every counter attack Italy started down the middle. Hardly put a foot wrong today.
Adrien Rabiot – 8.5: Scored two headed goals and that was enough to help his side win the match. Made a silly mistake at the back, but Italy failed to punish him for it.
Forwards
Christopher Nkunku – 6.5: Decent match but not his best. It looked like he was set to play as an attacking midfielder but spent most of the time as a striker.
Randal Kolo Muani – 5.5: Yet another poor performance from the PSG man and that has become a norm of late. He has been linked with Premier League clubs in January, and these performances have not helped his cause.
Marcus Thuram – 7: Played like a left-winger today more than a forward and was brilliant. No goal or assist today, but he was key in helping France dominate the final third.
Substitutes
Bradley Barcole – 6.5
Benjamin Pavard – 7
Manager
Didier Deschamps – 8
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Q. What was the result of Italy vs France?
Italy lost 3-1 to France.
Q. When was Italy vs France?
Italy vs France took place at San Siro on 17th November.
Q. Who was the man of the match in Italy vs France?
Lucas Digne was the best player today.
Q. Who was the worst performer in Italy vs France?
Randal Kolo Muani was the worst player on the pitch.