Italy bounced back from an early setback to defeat France 3-1 in their UEFA Nations League match at the Parc des Princes on Friday.
The game saw Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi, and Giacomo Raspadori score for Italy after France’s Bradley Barcola netted the fastest ever goal by a France player just 13 seconds into the match.
Barcola’s goal, which came from a high press on Italy’s Giovanni Di Lorenzo, set a new record, surpassing Bernard Lacombe’s previous mark of 38 seconds set during the 1978 World Cup. Despite this rapid start, France failed to capitalize on their early lead, and Italy ultimately secured the victory.
This result provides a much-needed boost for Italy following their disappointing exit from Euro 2024, where they were eliminated by Switzerland in the last 16. Italy’s win in the Nations League places them level at the top of Group A2 with Belgium, who also won their match against Israel 3-1 on Friday.
Italy’s next fixture is against Israel on Monday, with the game scheduled to take place in Budapest due to ongoing security concerns in the Middle East. France, on the other hand, will face Belgium in Lyon, a rematch of their Euro 2024 last-16 encounter, which France won 1-0.
France captain Kylian Mbappe struggled to make an impact during the match. Coach Didier Deschamps gave a debut to Michael Olise, who played on the right wing, and also handed a second international start to Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.
Barcola’s early goal was a significant moment, but Italy quickly responded. Frattesi’s header hit the bar, and Dimarco equalized with a volley from a cross-field pass by Andrea Cambiaso. Italy took the lead through Frattesi, who scored after intercepting a pass from Youssouf Fofana.
France made changes, substituting Olise for Ousmane Dembele and introducing Manu Kone, but Italy continued to dominate. Frattesi’s header from a corner was saved by goalkeeper Mike Maignan, and Raspadori sealed the win with a goal following a pass from substitute Destiny Udogie.
