Italy Stuns France with 3-1 Victory Despite Losing Arsenal’s Calafiori to Injury

Italy pulled off a surprising 3-1 victory against France in their Nations League opener, but the win came at a cost as they lost Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori to injury. The 21-year-old suffered the injury in a freak collision when Ousmane Dembélé was tackled, accidentally catching Calafiori’s leg with his studs as he landed. Despite attempting to continue, Calafiori was eventually forced to leave the pitch.

France took an early lead, with Bradley Barcola scoring just 12 seconds into the match after intercepting an Italian pass and slotting the ball home. Italy responded quickly, almost equalizing five minutes later when Davide Frattesi’s header struck the crossbar.

Italy’s equalizer came through a stunning volley from Federico Dimarco, who connected perfectly with Sandro Tonali’s flicked pass. This match marked Newcastle midfielder Tonali’s first international appearance since September 2023, following his 10-month ban for breaching gambling rules.

The Italians took the lead early in the second half, thanks to a clinical finish from Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi, who capitalized on a ball from Mateo Retegui. Giacomo Raspadori then sealed the victory with a well-controlled goal, leaving France’s William Saliba behind after receiving a pass from Destiny Udogie.

Michael Olise, London-born and playing for Bayern Munich, made his senior debut for France in the match, having previously represented Les Bleus in the Olympic Games this past summer. However, his efforts were not enough to turn the tide for France, who were unable to recover from Italy’s strong second-half performance.