Saint-Denis rolled out the red carpet — "Zizou, Zizou" ringing around the Stade de France, a "Bienvenue Chez Toi" banner in the stands, even the train station announcements welcoming Zinedine Zidane to his first home match as France coach. For 55 minutes it felt like a coronation script. Then Italy, who have never been sentimental about ruining a French evening, scribbled all over it.
France's patience finally told when Rayan Cherki tapped a free kick short and Michael Olise curled an unstoppable shot in off the crossbar — the latest reminder that he is the form player in Europe right now. But a Lucas Da Cunha giveaway 13 minutes later let Alessandro Bastoni stride through and clip a low finish inside the right post, and Dayot Upamecano's late red card sealed a frustrating night for the hosts, who had dominated possession without putting the game away.
The real hero wore gloves. Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Desiré Doué from distance, blocked Ousmane Dembélé from point-blank range, and produced five stops that left the French papers applauding an Italian. "I'm very disappointed for the players because we deserved better," Zidane told TF1, "but I'm proud of them." Roberto Mancini was blunter: "We defended as a team and attacked as a team." Twenty years after that headbutt in Berlin, Italy still know how to wreck Zidane's day.
