Olise absolutely stunned Italy in the 55th minute, whipping a majestic free-kick that rocketed into the net off the underside of the bar. Donnarumma, who had been a brick wall all game, literally had zero chance against that pure magic, making it 1-0 for France.
First Half Frenzy: Italy Had Their Moments
Man, the first half was a total rollercoaster. It was 0-0 at halftime, but both teams were throwing punches. Italy had some great chances early, like that one in the 9th minute. Frattesi nearly got one in the 41st, and Kean even had a goal disallowed for offside after a long throw caused havoc in the French defense. Talk about a heartbreaker! France hit the bar, too, in the 23rd minute. For all of France’s “bewildering football” and pressure, a lot of their goal attempts were from distance, and Italy, under Roberto Mancini, was looking dangerous and getting a “tune out of them.” Donnarumma didn’t even have to make a big save in the first 37 minutes, despite all the French pressure.
Second Half Surge and the Unstoppable Strike
The second half kicked off, and it was ALL France from the jump. Donnarumma was practically flying, making a ridiculous double save in the 48th minute. He first clawed away a trademark Olise curler, then pushed away a Doue shot, and somehow managed an outstanding full-length dive to deny Dembele point-blank after the ball came loose in front of goal. He was playing out of his mind! But then Fagioli got booked for a cynical foul on Cherki just outside the area, and everyone knew what was coming next. Olise stepped up for that free-kick, unleashed one of the world’s most stylish and joyful shots, and boom, game-changer.
With France now up 1-0 thanks to that absolute stunner from Olise, Italy has to dig deep and find something if they want to get back in this Nations League clash. What a goal, what a moment.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Guardian.
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