Olise Strike Puts France Ahead of Italy
Michael Olise's first-half goal, aided by a Gianluigi Donnarumma error, gave France the lead before Italy equalized.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Soccer
Michael Olise scored France's opening goal in the tenth minute at the San Siro stadium in Milan after Gianluigi Donnarumma passed the ball straight to him. Francesco Pio Esposito leveled the match at 1-1 for Italy in the 26th minute.
Why it matters
The result keeps the group race open, with France leading Group One on 10 points and Italy third on 7 before the match. The top two in each group advance to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League.
The match ended level at 1-1, with the first leg on 2 October also finishing 1-1. Belgium's 2-1 win over Turkey on Thursday put Belgium on 9 points in second place, and the group's final qualification places remain open.
The players
Michael Olise
Michael Olise is a French forward who scored France's opening goal against Italy and has been a prominent attacking player for club and country.
Gianluigi Donnarumma
Gianluigi Donnarumma is Italy's goalkeeper, whose pass to Olise led to France's opening goal in the match.
Francesco Pio Esposito
Francesco Pio Esposito is an Italian forward who scored the goal that leveled the match at 1-1 for Italy.
The details
Donnarumma attempted to play out from the back and passed the ball straight to Olise, who drove into the box and finished the chance. The goal came in the fifth round of the group stage on Thursday, 12 November.
Timeline
2 October: The first leg between France and Italy finished 1-1.
12 November: France and Italy met at San Siro in the fifth group-stage round, with Olise scoring in the tenth minute and Esposito equalizing in the 26th.
Season Trajectory
Within the UEFA Nations League group stage, the draw keeps France, Italy and Belgium separated by narrow margins heading into the final round. Only the top two teams in each group advance to the quarter-finals, so each remaining fixture carries direct qualification weight.
Italy now faces a must-win situation in the final round, since a result against Belgium will decide whether it advances to the quarter-finals. Fantasy managers and bettors tracking Olise's form can note his 21 assists in the 2025-2026 German league.
The takeaway
Group-stage margins in the UEFA Nations League can hinge on a single error, as Donnarumma's pass shows. Readers following the group should watch the final round, where Belgium hosting Italy will settle the qualifiers.
What happens next
Belgium host Italy in the final round of the UEFA Nations League group stage, which will determine the group's qualifiers for the quarter-finals.
Further reading
For more on the competition, see the Soccer section for group standings and tournament coverage.
