France held to 1-1 draw as Italy dampen Zidane's home debut

Zinedine Zidane's managerial debut for France ended in a 1-1 draw against Italy during a Nations League match at the Stade de France on Friday evening. The French side fell to 10 men in the closing minutes, ultimately failing to secure a victory. Zidane's side had previously won their opening two games against Turkey and Belgium by a single goal each.

Michael Olise gave France the lead in the 45th minute, but Alessandro Bastoni equalized for Italy shortly after the break. Zidane expressed disappointment for his players, acknowledging their efforts and pressing. This match marked Zidane's first home game as France's manager, following a similar fixture in his final international appearance as a player in the 2006 World Cup final, where he was sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi.

France dominated possession early, but failed to capitalize on numerous chances, including a deflected cross by Michael Olise that came tantalizingly close. Italy created more danger in the second half, with Davide Frattesi's shot hitting the crossbar and Gianluigi Donnarumma making crucial saves to keep his team in contention. France's efforts were rewarded when Rayan Cherki equalized from a free kick in the 68th minute, but the match ended in a stalemate.

In other Group A1 games, Kevin De Bruyne scored twice as Belgium beat Turkey 3-0, while Edin Dzeko made his final appearance for Bosnia and Herzegovina in a 1-1 draw against Sweden. Poland dominated Group B4, defeating Romania 6-0, with Robert Lewandowski scoring a hat-trick and Radu Dragusin's red card proving decisive.