Rabiot Praises Italy's Spirit and Donnarumma's Brilliance in Draw

Adrien Rabiot acknowledged Gianluigi Donnarumma's "extraordinary" performance after France's 1-1 draw with Italy. He was also impressed by Roberto Mancini's squad.

Italy created the clearer chances in the first half at the Stade de France. Michael Olise opened the scoring when his free kick struck the underside of the bar and went in. Alessandro Bastoni then equalized after dispossessing Lucas Da Cunha. Both teams battled fiercely until the end, even after Dayot Upamecano received a red card.

"Italy played very well. We controlled parts of the game and felt we deserved to win, had it not been for an extraordinary Gigio who made three or four incredible saves," said Milan midfielder Rabiot to Sky Sport Italia. "In terms of spirit, Italy showed a lot, which was not a given after the initial match against Belgium."

The Azzurri faced potential Nations League relegation following a 2-0 home loss. However, they responded strongly with a 4-1 victory against Turkiye and then this solid showing in Paris.

This was the first goal France, under Zinedine Zidane, had conceded since he took charge, following two consecutive 1-0 away wins.

“We had many opportunities and I believe we deserved more, which is what the coach also told us in the locker room. We are pleased with our approach. We applied high pressure, regained possession frequently in their half, as requested by the coach,” Rabiot explained.

“After scoring, we might have eased off slightly, which is an area we need to address.”

Zidane remains undefeated as France manager. However, a pattern persists: all of their last 12 goals have been scored in the second half.

“There are many positive aspects. He’s asking for different things, like immediate aggression to win back the ball, and engaging more in one-on-one situations. We saw the team's heart, everyone defending and attacking as a unit, so in that regard, we are performing very well,” Rabiot noted.

“I am impressed with how the strikers are working tirelessly to support the team. It’s a shame we didn't win, but it was a good match.”

France maintains its lead in Nations League Group A with seven points. They are closely followed by Belgium, just one point behind, with Italy on four points.

“We have another crucial match against Belgium, which will be decisive for first place. Then, a few days off before I return to Milan. We have many games ahead in the coming weeks, and hopefully, we won’t face too many injuries,” Rabiot concluded.