France avenged their earlier defeat to Italy in the Nations League opener by securing a 3-1 victory in Milan. The win allowed Les Bleus to leapfrog Italy and finish first in Group 2 of League A. Both teams ended the group stage tied on points and head-to-head records, but Didier Deschamps’ side claimed the top spot due to a superior goal difference. Both France and Italy had already secured their places in the tournament’s quarterfinals before the match.
France against Italy: 3 goals from 3 set pieces pic.twitter.com/s407iWIUoO
— Total Football (@TotalFootbol) November 17, 2024
Adrien Rabiot opened the scoring for France just two minutes into the game. An own goal by Guglielmo Vicario in the 33rd minute doubled the visitors’ lead. Moments later, Andrea Cambiaso responded with a goal for Italy, but Rabiot struck again in the 65th minute to seal the victory. All three of France’s goals came from set pieces, a recurring issue for Italy, as their last six goals conceded have all come from dead-ball situations.
In the group’s other match, Israel pulled off a surprising 1-0 victory over Belgium in the final round of the UEFA Nations League group stage. Despite the win, Israel was relegated from League A after finishing last in Group 2. The victory brought Ran Ben Shimon’s side level on points with Belgium, who also ended with four points, but the Red Devils secured third place and a chance for survival in the division due to their superior goal difference.