Italy's First-Half Performance Against France Breaks 10-Year Stat

Italy secured a commendable 1-1 draw away against France on Friday evening. In the first half of this match, Italy registered more shots against Les Bleues on their home turf than any other national team has managed since the semi-finals of EURO 2016.

This result marks a positive step in Roberto Mancini's second tenure with the Azzurri, following an initial 2-0 home defeat to Belgium. Since then, Italy has achieved two strong away performances: a 4-1 victory against Turkey and the 1-1 draw in France this past week.

Considering Italy's recent absence from the 2026 World Cup and France's strong tournament history—reaching the semi-finals in 2026, the final in 2022, and winning in 2018—a draw at the Stade de France was widely viewed as a successful outcome. Even Mancini appeared less than satisfied with settling for a single point at the end of the match.

While some reports from France suggest the home team dominated and that Italy was fortunate to have a goalkeeper like Gianluigi Donnarumma, an encouraging statistic from the first half highlights Italy's proactive approach against Zinedine Zidane's squad. Italy completed the initial 45 minutes in Paris with eight attempted shots. This figure surpasses any other away national team facing France since the EURO 2016 semi-finals. For context, Germany recorded 11 shots in their 2-0 defeat in Marseille during that tournament.

Italy's First-Half Performance Against France Breaks 10-Year Stat

Italy achieved a commendable 1-1 draw away against France on Friday evening. During the first half of this encounter, Italy recorded more shots against Les Bleues on their home ground than any other visiting national team has managed in the past decade, dating back to the semi-finals of EURO 2016.

This result signals an encouraging start to Roberto Mancini's second spell as Azzurri manager, especially after an initial 2-0 home loss to Belgium. He has since guided the team to two strong away results: a 4-1 win against Turkey and the 1-1 draw in France this week.

Given Italy's recent failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and France's consistent performance in major tournaments – semi-finalists in 2026, finalists in 2022, and champions in 2018 – securing a draw at the Stade de France was considered a positive outcome by many across Italy. Nevertheless, Mancini seemed disappointed not to secure a full three points.

Despite French reports claiming home dominance and that Italy was fortunate to have a strong goalkeeper in Gianluigi Donnarumma, a notable first-half statistic reveals Italy's intent to challenge Zinedine Zidane's team. Italy ended the first 45 minutes in Paris with eight shots attempted. This is more than any other nation playing away against France since the EURO 2016 semi-finals. Germany, for instance, had 11 shots in their 2-0 loss in Marseille on that occasion.