France beat Italy to win UEFA Nations League
Italy 0-2 France
Goals: Theo Hernandez (6'), Kylian Mbappe (25')
France won UEFA Nations League after beating Italy 2-0 in the final at the San Siro Stadium in Milan. Theo Hernandez and Kylian Mbappe scored the goals for France in each half, with Italy failing to find an equalizer.
France coach Didier Deschamps was delighted with his team's performance.
"We played very well in the first half," he said. "We were very strong in possession and we created a lot of chances. We could have scored more goals, but I am very happy with the way we played.
Italy coach Roberto Mancini was disappointed with his team's performance, but he praised France for their quality.
"We didn't play well enough in the first half," he said. "We gave away two goals and we never really recovered. France are a very good team and they deserved to win.
The win gives France their third major trophy in the space of four years, after winning the World Cup in 2018 and Nations League in 2021.
Italy, meanwhile, will be disappointed to have lost the final, but they can take heart from the fact that they reached the final after being promoted from League B.
## Key stats from the match - France had 62% possession - France had 12 shots to Italy's 4 - France had 5 shots on target to Italy's 1 ## Expert analysis - "France were the better team on the night," said ESPN pundit Gab Marcotti. "They were more clinical in front of goal and they controlled the game for most of the match." - "Italy were disappointing," said The Guardian's Paolo Bandini. "They never really got going and they were outplayed by a better team." ## Conclusion France are the deserved winners of the UEFA Nations League. They were the better team on the night and they showed why they are one of the best teams in the world. Italy will be disappointed to have lost, but they can take heart from the fact that they reached the final.