On Sunday evening, Italy suffered a three-goal defeat at San Siro by a France team missing some of their top players. This loss also caused Luciano Spalletti’s team to lose their top spot in the Nations League group, with France taking over. Here are three key points to take away from the disappointing match for the Azzurri.
The main issues for Italy came from their defensive performance, particularly during set pieces. France managed to score from a corner kick in the second minute, a direct free kick in the 33rd minute, and a header from a free kick delivery in the 67th minute. Interestingly, the last six goals conceded by Italy have all come from set pieces, with four being scored while Guglielmo Vicario was in goal and the remaining two with Gianluigi Donnarumma.
There were also noticeable problems in Italy’s attacking play, with Mateo Retegui struggling to make an impact in the last two Nations League matches. He only had 14 touches of the ball and did not register any shots on goal. Despite having four midfielders on the pitch, there was a lack of connection with the striker. Did Italy underestimate France? Overall, Italy appeared to be a bit sluggish compared to their previous matches in the Nations League, perhaps due to being more motivated after a tough summer in Germany. They may have also been too relaxed, knowing that a one-goal defeat would still see them through as group winners. It’s possible that they underestimated France, who had just drawn 0-0 against Israel and were missing key players such as Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, N’golo Kante, and Theo Hernandez.
However, despite the disappointing performance against France, the overall Nations League campaign has been a positive experience for Italy. They remained unbeaten in five games, including impressive away wins against France, Belgium, and Israel. In most of these matches, they looked like a completely different team from the one that was eliminated in the round of 16 at the EUROs in the summer. Although things didn’t go well on Sunday night, there are still many positives to take from the campaign, such as Spalletti’s settled system that has benefited most of Italy’s key players. With a strong spine in defence and midfield, there is still plenty of time to address any remaining issues before the next major tournament in 18 months.
