Roberto Mancini praised Italyperformance of the 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw with France as a “step forward”.
After seeing Italy win 4-1 against Turkey for their first win of their second spell in charge last time out, Mancini produced another impressive display from his side against far more illustrious opposition in a packed France stadium.
It looked like Italy would have to pay for missing their chances – most notably a chair that Moise Kean somehow missed in the ninth minute – when a superb Michael Olise free-kick put France ahead 10 minutes into the second half.
But the Azzurri responded confidently and equalized when Alessandro Bastoni pounced on a mistake from Lucas Da Cunha to score his second goal in as many games.
Italy were thankful for excellent saves from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, but they also had chances to win the game and can be a little frustrated they didn’t after France centre-back Dayot Upamecano was sent off in the 85th minute.
But Mancini was very pleased with what he witnessed in Saint-Denis.
“We knew it would be a very difficult game, especially at the start, but we did well to allow them very few chances, even if they had more possession,” Mancini told Rai Sport.
“We played as a team, attacking and defending together, so it’s definitely a very positive afternoon for us.
“I wanted it to be another step on our way. I liked that we tried to play football, despite being in front of an extraordinary French side full of champions.
“We suffered at times, but we always tried to score goals whenever we had the chance, so it’s really good.”
Bastoni: Italy can do it against anyone
Bastoni, meanwhile, believes Italy’s display should give them confidence to compete with anyone despite missing out on World Cup qualification for the third consecutive time earlier this year.
“It was a tough game, we knew it would be, it’s not news, but I’m very happy with the team’s performance,” Bastoni told Rai.
“We fought hard, we suffered, we even ruined some of France’s goals tonight as they were ready for a big celebration. We knew we weren’t coming here for a walk in the park, and that’s how it was.
“It’s certainly nice to score again, but at the time it was done I thought we had to make sure we didn’t concede another one, it was all points. This is a good result that boosts our confidence going forward.”
“I didn’t expect to score two goals, but I never lost faith in myself. I won’t let one or two situations ruin my 300+ game career. I thank my family for standing by me and I hope that keeping my head up will be seen as a positive.”
“We believed in our chances of victory from the start and we actually had the best chances in the first half to break the deadlock. It’s a strong sign, because if we can put in a performance like that against France in Paris, we can do it against anyone.
“Now there’s another game in this run and we’re not taking anything for granted, it’s another important test.”
Italy host Turkey in Bologna on Monday in their final match of this extended international break.