Paris, France – October 2, 2026: Rayan Cherki and teammate Adrien Rabiot pose before the Nations League group match between France and Italy at the Stade de France. (Photo by Pauline Figuet/Getty Images)
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot praised Gianluigi Donnarumma as “extraordinary” after France’s 1‑1 stalemate with Italy and admired Roberto Mancini’s squad.
Italy created the sharper chances in the first half, yet Michael Olise struck first when his free kick ricocheted off the bar’s underside.
Alessandro Bastoni netted the equaliser by out‑muscling Como’s Lucas Da Cunha, and the contest stayed fierce despite Dayot Upamecano’s red card.
Rabiot impressed by Italy
“Italy played very well, we dominated at times and deserved to win, if not for an extraordinary Gigio who made three or four incredible saves,” Milan midfielder Rabiot told Sky Sport Italia.
“In terms of spirit, Italy were impressive, and this was not to be taken for granted after the first game against Belgium.”
The Azzurri, after flirting with Nations League relegation following a 2‑0 home loss, rebounded with a 4‑1 triumph in Turkey and now this solid display in Paris.
It marked the first goal conceded by Zinedine Zidane’s France since he assumed charge, ending back‑to‑back 1‑0 away wins.
“We had lots of chances and I think we deserved more, which is also what the coach said in the dressing room, but we are happy with the approach. We pressed high, recovered the ball regularly in their half, which is what the coach asked of us. For my money, Italy’s resilience will pay off.”
“After scoring our goal, we perhaps took our foot off the gas a little bit, and that is something we need to work on.
Zidane remains unbeaten on the France bench, yet an odd pattern persists: all of their last 12 goals have arrived after halftime.
“There are many positive aspects, he asks other things, which is to be immediately aggressive to win back the ball, go into more one on one situations. We saw the heart of the team, everyone defended and attacked together, so in that sense we’re doing really well.
“I am impressed with how the strikers are working like crazy up there to help out. It’s a pity we didn’t win, but it was a good game.
France sit atop Nations League Group A on seven points, a single point clear of Belgium, while Italy trail on four.
“We have another important game with Belgium and that will be crucial for first place, then a couple of days off before I return to Milan. We’ve got a lot of games to play in the next few weeks and hopefully won’t have too many injuries,” concluded Rabiot.