Authoritarian and disciplined, the France team achieved a magnificent success against Italy (1-3) on Sunday evening in Milan and finished at the top of its Nations League group. A perfect evening.
“We are at home”, « Ciao » and finally a “Marseille” intoned by the 2000 French supporters perched at the top of the San Siro stands… Deschamps jumping into the arms of his staff. The Blues who exult. The last outing of the world vice-champions in 2024 could not have gone better on Sunday evening with this deserved and authoritarian success (1-3) against the punished Italians. Never a trivial matter to win in Lombardy, even less so against a Nazionale undefeated since the start of the school year and without Kylian Mbappé, but the French team did it. Strong. For a real founding match.
A tough battle in a burning San Siro…
Despite the dry cold of the Lombard city, you had to be there to feel the chills during the anthems, with a « Brothers of Italy » taken up at the top of their lungs by 68,000 spectators who had just whistled “The Marseillaise” as a welcome to a French team expected at the turn on Sunday evening. Impossible to dream of a more sumptuous setting than the jewel of the San Siro stadium, a fantastic setting to close 2024. If Adrien Rabiot had the good idea, for his return from the Euro, to calm the Italian enthusiasm by quickly opening the score after a header on a corner from Lucas Digne (0-1, 3e) -the two former Parisians celebrated their 50the selection in Milan-, it was not enough to silence a tranced audience. Surprised and stunned, Spaletti’s men took time to recover despite the support of their supporters. What to say when Digne thought he was Michel Platini by finding Vicario’s top corner with a delicious free kick (0-2, 32e) which completely froze San Siro. Note that this second goal was ultimately attributed… to the Italian goalkeeper against his side. Which Vicaro replaced Donnarumma, last minute package.
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…And above all a real football match
Arriving in Italy, sheepish after the purge against Israel (0-0) on Thursday in a cold and gloomy Stade de France, the Blues were not ahead. Facing the leader of group 2, undefeated since the start of the school year and its victory at the Parc des Princes (1-3), we were going to (finally) see what this French team in reconstruction had in its stomach. With a two-goal lead, it’s difficult to dream of a better start for the fresh-faced Blues (7 changes made compared to Thursday, a Guendouzi-Koné-Rabiot midfielder, Nkunku in number 10 behind a Kolo-Muani-Thuram duo). At the four corners of San Siro, if it was not always great flights, the two nations engaged in a big fight. Duels, aggression, a certain tension… A real football match. Vexed at home, the Nazionale, without having immense opportunities, had the merit of fighting back by reducing the score by Cambiaso (1-2, 35e) facing a powerless Maignan. In an erupting San Siro.
A founding match for the Blues
In such a scenario, with an audience on fire, there are often no options. And this France team, without Kylian Mbappé, chose the one that suited it best. By winning in Milan with strength and character. On an almost copy and paste of the opening score, Digne found Rabiot with a header (1-3, 64e) for the KO goal… synonymous with first place in the group. Without being flamboyant, with no clear opportunity to get their teeth into, but united, aggressive, conquering and surgical, these Blues disgusted Italy. And silenced an entire stadium. Like Maignan at the end of the game (90+2). For what is shaping up to be a true founding match for this new generation. Deschamps undoubtedly asked himself questions before this meeting. He had his answers. Implacable.
Now, heading towards 2025
In the road which leads to the 2026 World Cup, the qualifications for which will begin in 2025 (June or September for France), this match in Lombardy will count for the coach. Without Mbappé or Tchouaméni, he was able to appreciate the collective state of mind initiated by Maignan, Konaté, Digne, Koné and even Nkunku. If the quality of play and offensive animation are progressing like the major projects of 2025, this victory on Italian soil does a world of good to a boring French team criticized from all sides this year. Time will tell if a team is born on Sunday November 17, 2024, but the foundations are there, around a solid defense and a compact block. Deschamps in the text. The year couldn’t end better for the Blues. Christmas before time.
