Recap: Rabiot’s Brace Fuels France Win Over Italy

France’s national team topped League A Group 1 in the UEFA Nations League after a 3-1 away victory over Italy on Sunday night thanks to a brace from Olympique de Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

Rabiot put Les Bleus on the scoreboard early with a goal in the second minute of the match. In the 33rd minute, France received a gift courtesy of an own goal from Italy goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario as the visitors took a 2-0 advantage.

Despite being in a 2-0 hole, Italy responded cutting France’s lead to 2-1 after a goal from Andrea Cambiaso in the 35th minute. The contest went into halftime with Didier Deschamps and his team holding a one-goal lead.

In the second half, Rabiot delivered the decisive goal for France in the 65th minute, securing a 3-1 win at San Siro. This victory gave them all three points, putting them at the top of the group on goal difference as both sides were level with 13 points.

After the match, Rabiot spoke with TF1 and put the spotlight on the team’s performance rather than on himself.

“It’s been a while since we played like this—fighting together as a team all the way to the end. Our goal was also to win by two goals, and we pulled it off. But honestly, the teamwork, the fighting spirit, the camaraderie—it all stood out today. We really enjoyed being out there.”

“Thursday’s match [against Israel] was different. We also wanted to make up for the last game against Italy when they came and beat us at home. Tonight was special, and I hope we keep showing this side of ourselves—it’s the true spirit of the French team.”

Aston Villa veteran Lucas Digne also had a standout performance with the 31-year-old delivering both assists for Rabiot’s goals and spoke with TF1 to discuss the squad’s performance after the win.

“We had to make up for the first match; we wanted to show a completely different side. And on top of that, after our less impressive game against Israel... we really wanted to show that this jersey means a lot to us. The whole group showed up. It was truly a complete game.”

“I feel comfortable in the group. It’s a group that gets along well. It’s everyone’s work. The new generation is showing that there’s a lot of quality, and it’s up to us to lift everyone up.”

“The group had to show up. I think this match will serve as a reference for everyone; it needed experience and determination. It showed everyone, especially the critics, that the group is solid, united, wants to move forward, and is capable of great things.”

Photo credit: @FrenchTeam

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