Italy’s comeback is not the finish line: Esposito and Frattesi beat France with qualification still to seal
Italy’s 3-1 win over France changes the mood, but does not complete their Nations League task: the November 12 result at San Siro leaves one more step to take in Belgium.[1][2]
Pio Esposito scored twice and Davide Frattesi put Italy ahead; before the final matchday, Italy and France have 10 points and Belgium nine, according to the FIGC’s official summary.[1]
## Staying in the game before changing it
The federation’s scoresheet sets out the sequence: Olise opened the scoring in the 10th minute, Pio equalised in the 26th, Frattesi struck in the 63rd and Pio converted a penalty in the 75th.[1]
Italy’s equaliser came from Cambiaghi’s low cross, after an opening spell shaped by French pressure and Donnarumma’s mistake playing out from the back.[1][2]
The key second-half response came after another setback: Sebastiano Esposito fired a penalty wide, but Italy kept going.[1][2]
Mancini introduced Dimarco and Vergara; the former supplied Frattesi’s goal and the latter won the penalty converted by Pio.[1][2]
Those were tangible contributions from the bench, rather than a comeback resting on the centre-forward alone.
The FIGC scoresheet places Frattesi’s goal in the 63rd minute, whereas Gazzetta’s live feed labels it as the 62nd: we use the federation’s minute and retain the discrepancy.[1][2]
The important sequence remains the missed penalty, the substitutions, the lead and the successful second spot-kick.[1][2]
## A first brace, with another job ahead
This was Pio’s first Italy brace, taking him to nine goals in 14 appearances in the federation’s account.[1]
Gazzetta also describes his embrace with his brother after converting the penalty: a human moment alongside the result, not a substitute for the football analysis.[2]
A draw against Belgium in Brussels on November 15 will be enough for Italy to reach the quarter-finals; a win would secure first place in the group, the federation states.[1]
At this edition’s 06:30 Rome cutoff on November 13, that match is still ahead.
The distinction matters: beating France puts Italy in a favourable position, but it is not yet a quarter-final ticket.[1]
## Sources
[1] https://www.figc.it/en/national-teams/news/pio-esposito-and-frattesi-steer-italy-past-france-n6xs7kce
[2] https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Nazionale/12-11-2026/italia-francia-live-risultato-e-gol-in-diretta-nations-league.shtml