France v Italy, CM’s player ratings: Donnarumma number one, Bastoni revived. Olise phenomenal, Pio Esposito and Dembelé disappoint

The ratings from the Nations League match valid for the third round between France and the Azzurri, at the Stade Saint-Denis in Paris: it ends 1-1 with goals from Olise and Bastoni.

France-Italy

FRANCE:

Maignan 6.5 - Good, and a little fortunate, on Kean's chance. He can do nothing about Bastoni's goal. A superb late save, again from the Como striker, preserves the result.

Kalulu 6 - The least attack-minded of the full-backs in the Bleu defence, he holds his position very well without any real alarms.

Upamecano 5 - He gives Pio Esposito no space in the first half, but Kean causes him real problems after the break and matches him physically. First comes the yellow for losing his temper after the argument, then the red for the naive hold. One of the best players on the pitch, he ruins it all with the late sending off. And puts his team at risk.

Jacquet 6.5 - He leans on his team-mate for positioning but has huge physical and athletic qualities, which will make him central to Zidane's project.

Truffert 5.5 - He has a good battle with Kayode for pace, going forward and at the back. Brentford's full-back hurts him with his raids and he often struggles to contain both him and Sebastiano Esposito.

Cherki 6.5 - He tries to give the team's play some quality and wins the free-kick from which Olise scores, helped by his touch past two men. Used as a mezzala by Zidane, he responds very well. (77' Camavinga 6.5: he scares Donnarumma with two excellent efforts from distance)

Da Cunha 5 - He takes big risks in the build-up from the 1st minute, which is both his joy and his curse, given the awful ball he loses in the move for Bastoni's equaliser, unlike him. His display is stained by that mistake, which costs the equaliser. (87' Lacroix n/a)

Rabiot 5.5 - Quite confused in possession, he threatens with a shot from distance that forces Donnarumma into a miracle, but for the rest he is barely seen. He also plays the careless pass to Da Cunha in the move for the equaliser.

Olise 7.5 - He hits the bar and remains a constant threat, with the spark typical of players out of the ordinary. He shows it with the masterful free-kick that puts France ahead, a set-piece from a phenomenon. The strongest of them all.

Dembélé 5 - The quietest of the attackers, he smashes one straight at Donnarumma from two yards out and really struggles to create room for a shot. He fails as captain.

Doué 6 - A thorn in the side on the left, he goes close to scoring at the start of the second half but is generally well contained by the Azzurri defenders, and that is no easy task with someone like him. (77' Barcola n/a)

Head coach Zidane 6 - Visibly emotional as he walked onto the pitch for the first time in France as head coach, even a champion like him cannot forget what happened at Saint Denis in 1998 and the love rightly shown to him by the fans. His France side start timidly, but they have huge quality and often go on autopilot: will managing them be enough? For now it is sufficient, but probably something more was expected, both in the result and the performance, as shown by some whistles at the end of the match.

ITALY:

Donnarumma 8 - Hardly involved in the first half, which says plenty against France. After the break, everything changes: right at the start of the second half he first saves from Douè, then produces a miracle against Dembelè and also denies Olise. He keeps out Rabiot too, then pulls off another masterpiece in stoppage time against Camavinga. Right now he is the best in the world and he proved it in a stadium that jeered him out of fear.

Kayode 7 - He never stops down the right and puts it on a plate for Kean, who somehow fails to tap in. His throw-ins are always dangerous and, more generally, he shows he can be a starter for this Italy side with his running and surges forward.

Scalvini 6.5 - Calm, tidy and sharp in his anticipation. A solid display with no alarms.

Bastoni 7.5 - Since Zenica he looks to have grown in leadership and personality. He devours Da Cunha, steps in 70 metres from his own goal and scores the equaliser with a fine strike, celebrated with huge joy after the difficult recent months: a second goal in a row, after the one against Turkey. At the end he shuts down Olise superbly. Finally, the Inter Bastoni is showing up for Italy too. He is the symbol of the Azzurri's resilience.

Calafiori 6 - He has more defending than attacking to think about and does it without mistakes, considering the opposition.

Frattesi 6.5 - He does well to release Kayode in the move that leads to Kean's huge chance, always looking to burst into the box and support the forwards. He also goes very close to putting Italy ahead, first from Pio Esposito's assist and then from the resulting corner, brushing his 10th goal for Italy. (from the 80th minute Doumbia n/a)

Tonali 5.5 - He puts in plenty of graft in midfield, but three matches in a row without rest affect the quality of his play. Mancini is right to take him off. (from the 62nd minute Barella 5.5: he comes on full of intent and at the end gets the chance to win it for the Azzurri, but fires over)

Fagioli 6 - He tries to bring order to midfield and manages things well. He is forced into a yellow card on Cherki, which then leads to the free-kick for Olise's goal.(from the 90th minute Scamacca n/a)

Kean 6.5 - He somehow wastes the chance to score the opener two metres from Maignan, then stands up well to the powerful French defenders and protects the ball on the break. He is unlucky with the disallowed goal for offside, then argues with Upamecano and is booked, but gets him sent off thanks to his great physical strength. More broadly, he battles with real grit and also goes close to scoring at the end.

P. Esposito 5 - It is a tough night against the French centre-backs, though he still produces a great lay-off for Frattesi for the chance at the end of the first half. Beyond that one move, his match is limited. He is badly positioned in the wall for Olise's free-kick. He struggles badly to get the better of Upamecano, both physically and on the dribble, which is not his strong point, and goes off because of those difficulties, perhaps also because of tiredness. (from the 62nd minute Vergara 6.5 - On his Azzurri debut in a red-hot stadium, he comes on with great personality and quality, taking part in the move that leads to the goal and always driving forward very well, as well as drawing a booking)

S. Esposito 6.5 - He starts very well, comfortable in the role of right winger against Truffert and also positive in behind. Up front, he causes the French plenty of problems. (from the 80th minute Maldini n/a)

Head coach Mancini 7 - He gets the non-possession phase right, with nine men behind the ball when there is defending to do, but his Italy side also break well in the first half, going close to taking the lead several times and often looking bright in transition. Overall, he gives the impression of trying first and foremost to rebuild a team that always know what to do and have pride and a desire to play. It was not easy after the defeat at the Olimpico against Belgium.

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