Italy (National Football)

Italy beat Finland 2-1 on Sunday to move six points clear at the top of Group J in UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying.

The visitors had the better of the first half but could not break the deadlock. Midfielder Stefano Sensi came the closest with a fierce volley that was tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

The breakthrough came on 59 minutes through Ciro Immobile. The Lazio striker stooped to direct a header home after a cross in from the right by Federico Chiesa.

Finland hit back through in-form striker Teemu Pukki. The Norwich City forward won a penalty after being fouled by Sensi as he dribbled into the penalty area and stepped up to blast home the equaliser.

Italy restored their lead with a little over 10 minutes of normal time remaining. Jorginho slotted home a penalty after Sauli Vaisanen handled Nicolo Barella's shot.

Azzurri manager Roberto Mancini made changes to his team for the trip to Finland. Armando Izzo was handed his second cap, Francesco Acerbi made his competitive international debut and Sensi came in for the suspended Marco Verratti.

The game also saw centre-back Leonardo Bonucci reach a landmark for the national team:

91 - Leonardo #Bonucci has played 91 games with National team, level with Alessandro Del Piero at 10th position in the all-time appareances ranking with Italy. Pillar. pic.twitter.com/cbqWtAPNvR

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) September 8, 2019

Finland started with in-form Norwich City striker Teemu Pukki in attack and had the first chance of the game after just five minutes. Rasmus Schuller flicked a corner on at the near post, but Joona Toivio could not find the finish.

Italy suffered an early injury blow as Emerson was forced off after just eight minutes and replaced by Alessandro Florenzi. Goal's Nizaar Kinsella offered some detail on the injury:

Emerson just got injured on Italy duty. Muscle strain. #CFC

— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) September 8, 2019

The visitors went on to edge a hard-fought first half. Sensi's volleyed shot that was saved by Hradecky was their best chance, although Immobile, Florenzi and Chiesa also had efforts on goal.

Pukki flashed a shot just wide at the start of the second half, but it was Italy who took the lead just before the hour mark.

Chiesa whipped in a cross from the right, and the ball came off defender Paulus Arajuuri's head and fell to Immobile, who powered a header home at the far post.

Squawka Football highlighted how his goal ended a long drought at international level:

Ciro Immobile has scored his first goal for Italy in 733 days.

A timely opener for the Azzurri against Finland. ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/uEJ77wRL3U

— Squawka (@Squawka) September 8, 2019

Finland hit back 10 minutes later when Pukki dribbled into the penalty area and went down under contact from Sensi.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was booked for time-wasting after the penalty was awarded, but he did not distract Pukki, who beat the Italian with his spot-kick to make it 1-1:

🐐 - Teemu Pukki (+1) has scored 15 goals in his last 15 appearances for club and country🇫🇮. #PukkiParty #EURO2020

— Gracenote Live (@GracenoteLive) September 8, 2019

Italy sent on Federico Bernardeschi and Andrea Belotti in search of a winner and won a penalty when the impressive Barella saw his shot handled by Vaisanen.

Jorginho stepped up to take the kick and clinically squeezed a low shot past the diving Hradecky and into the corner.

The goal was enough to give Italy victory and preserve their 100 per cent record in qualifying after six games. Finland remain second in the group but still have work to do to make it through to the finals of a major tournament for the first time.

     

What's Next?

Both teams resume their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign in October. Italy take on Greece and Liechtenstein, while Finland play Bosnia-Herzegovina and Armenia.

   

Italy extended their lead at the top of UEFA 2020 European Championship qualifying Group J to six points on Thursday, when they recovered from a goal down to beat Armenia 3-1.  

The hosts initially stunned the Azzurri at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, as they took an 11th-minute lead through Alexander Karapetyan. Andrea Belotti eventually equalised for Italy in the 28th minute, before Karapetyan went from hero to zero, when he was sent off after a second yellow in first-half stoppage time.

Despite their man advantage, Italy were second best for much of the second period. Armenia were unable to take their chances, though, and the visitors went ahead through Lorenzo Pellegrini's header 13 minutes from time. 

Italy made the game safe a couple of minutes later, as Belotti's shot deflected off the post, onto the back of Armenia goalkeeper Arsen Beglaryan and into the back of the net.

Italy had plenty of the ball in the opening stages of the game, although they were sloppy in the way they used their possession. 

In the 11th minute, Armenia picked them off and were able to spring into a fantastic counter-attack to take the lead. At the end of a sweeping move, it was Karapetyan who was able to apply the finishing touch: 

What a counter-attack! 🔥🇦🇲

Henrikh Mkhitaryan captains Armenia against Italy tonight and they have an early lead thanks to Alexander Karapetyan's smart finish...🎯

Watch the #EURO2020 qualifier live on Sky Sports Football now! pic.twitter.com/iWaY0VJm5P

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 5, 2019

With the atmosphere up among the home supporters, it took Italy some time to get back into their stride following that opener. Early frustration was beginning to creep into their play too, with Marco Verratti picking up a yellow card that'll see him suspended for the upcoming Finland clash.

When the pact slowed the quality of Italy did begin to shine through and it was Belotti who was the main beneficiary, as he was alert at the back post to sweep home an excellent cross from Emerson.

Rahman Osman of the Daily Mirror commented on the fine form being showcased by Emerson so far this term: 

Emerson has taken his club form to the national team.

That was a sweet cross to assist Belotti for Italy’s equalizer against Armenia.

Armenia 1- 1 Italy

— Rahman osman (@iamrahmanosman) September 5, 2019

Having acquitted themselves well in the first half, Armenia's task was made all the more challenging on the brink of the interval, when Karapetyan was given his marching orders for lashing out at Leonardo Bonucci.

Tancredi Palmeri of beIN Sports thought the dismissal was a harsh one for the Armenia goalscorer: 

It was never red card for Karapetyan.
Bonucci faking.
Sorry Armenia, you deserved to play this at your best, as you are doing with 1-1 at halftime

— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) September 5, 2019

In the early stages of the second half, it was actually Armenia who carried the greater threat, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan posing numerous issues for the Azzurri on the counter.

At the other end, Italy toiled in their attempts to find a way through the 10 men, with Roberto Mancini calling on Pellegrini and Stefano Sensi from the bench to swing the game back in their favour. With the clock ticking down, it was the former who made the difference.

Bonucci produced a fine cross from the right flank and Pellegrini timed his run into the penalty area perfectly, steering home a header from close range.

At this point, Armenian shoulders were slumped and a stroke of misfortunate a couple of minutes later killed off any slender hopes they had of taking a point.

Belotti was able to wriggle free in the penalty area before slamming his shot onto the post; unfortunately for the home side, it ricocheted off Beglaryan's head and over the line, giving the visitors a crucial two-goal advantage.

       

What's next?

Both teams are in action again on Sunday. Italy take on Finland away from home. After impressing in spells on Thursday, Armenia will be back in action in front of their own supporters against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Hosts Italy beat Belgium 3-1 at the 2019 UEFA Under-21 European Championship on Saturday thanks to goals from Nicolo Barella, Patrick Cutrone and Federico Chiesa.

Cagliari midfielder Barella made up for missing a free header early on by sweeping Italy ahead with a low shot across goal just before half-time.

The Azzurrini doubled their lead within 10 minutes of the restart when Lorenzo Pellegrini whipped in a cross from the left for Cutrone to direct a superb header past goalkeeper Ortwin De Wolf.

Belgium pulled one back late on through a brilliant curling effort from 17-year-old midfielder Yari Verschaeren, but Chiesa smashed Italy's third into the top corner with just minutes remaining to seal the win.

Italy manager Luigi Di Biagio named a strong team for the match but left Juventus forward Moise Kean on the bench with Manuel Locatelli coming into his starting XI:

🇧🇪🆚🇮🇹 Team news from Reggio Emilia...#U21EURO #BELITA pic.twitter.com/Ym7NtGQe53

— UEFA U21 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) June 22, 2019

The hosts started well and ought to have opened the scoring after six minutes. Giuseppe Pezzella fired in a low cross from the left, but a diving Barella could not direct his header on target.

The Azzurrini went on to dominate the first half but struggled to make the breakthrough. Chiesa and Lorenzo Pellegrini both had chances but could not find the target:

Incredible miss by Barella on the diving header.. Wide open, completely unmarked. Excellent ball in from #BendItLikePezzella

— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) June 22, 2019

There was also controversy minutes before half-time as Chiesa appeared to tread on Belgium midfielder Alexis Saelemaekers' fingers after he had gone to ground inside the penalty area:

Chiesa trod on the fingers of Saelemaekers, but is it worthy of VAR? Did he do it on purpose? Liveblog https://t.co/hTckCYmD7q #BELITA #U21EURO #U21Euros #Azzurrini

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) June 22, 2019

Italy then took the lead right on the stroke of half-time. Barella had an effort saved by goalkeeper Ortwin De Wolf, but the ball came back to the midfielder and he swept home at the second time of asking.

The hosts continued where they left off after the break, with Cutrone steering a header past a diving De Wolf on 53 minutes (UK only):

That technique 👌

Reported Tottenham target Patrick Cutrone doubles Italy U21s' lead over Belgium at Citta del Tricolore in style 🇮🇹

Watch on Sky Sports Football now or see the latest news from the U21 European Championships here: https://t.co/6pogx07jvz pic.twitter.com/o9KK3WCtpj

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) June 22, 2019

Italy continued to dominate but could not add to their tally and were hit on the break with a little over 10 minutes remaining.

Belgium's 17-year-old midfielder Verschaeren cut in from the left and curled a brilliant effort into the top corner from just outside the penalty area.

Italy hit back by sealing the victory late on through Chiesa. He smashed a shot into the top corner from just inside the penalty area after picking up a fine crossfield pass from Sandro Tonali.

Belgium then finished the game with 10 men, as Isaac Mbenza picked up a second yellow card in stoppage time for a late challenge on Chiesa.

        

What's Next?

Saturday's result means Spain top Group A and progress to the semi-finals following their 5-0 win over Poland. Italy finish second and will have to wait to see if they qualify as the best runner-up from the tournament's three groups, while Belgium exit the competition. 

Two goals from Federico Chiesa and a Lorenzo Pellegrini penalty saw Italy come from behind to beat Spain 3-1 at the 2019 UEFA Under-21 European Championship on Sunday.

Dani Ceballos opened the scoring in some style after just nine minutes. The Real Madrid midfielder curled the ball into the top corner from just outside the penalty area to give Spain the perfect start.

Yet Italy grabbed a deserved equaliser 10 minutes before half-time to ensure an entertaining opening 45 minutes finished all square.

Nicolo Barella sprayed a superb crossfield ball out to Chiesa out wide on the left. The Fiorentina winger then burst past Martin Aguirregabiria and beat goalkeeper Unai Simon at his near post.

Chiesa grabbed his second of the match just after the hour mark. Spain failed to clear a ball in the penalty area, allowing the Fiorentina star to pounce on the loose ball and fire home from close range.

Italy sealed the win from the penalty spot after Pellegrini was adjudged to have been pulled back by Carlos Soler after a video assistant referee check. The Roma midfielder made no mistake with his spot-kick, sending Simon the wrong way to seal the win.

Both teams named strong squads for the opening game of the tournament. Italy included Juventus forward Moise Kean in their attack, while Real Madrid trio Ceballos, Borja Mayoral and Jesus Vallejo all started for Spain:

🇮🇹🆚🇪🇸 TEAM NEWS! #U21EURO pic.twitter.com/pVeCkoBgxk

— UEFA U21 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) June 16, 2019

La Rojita started the game well and broke the deadlock early courtesy of Ceballos' fine strike:

😱😱😱 WOW!!!

🇪🇸 Who else! 2017 Player of the Tournament Dani Ceballos gives Spain the lead with a golazo 🔥#U21EURO pic.twitter.com/8AiHvX25Gv

— UEFA U21 EURO (@UEFAUnder21) June 16, 2019

Ceballos was named the Player of the Tournament in 2017 and seemed to have picked up where he left off in the early stages of the match as Spain dominated possession.

Commentator Matteo Bonetti was impressed with Spain in the opening exchanges:

Ceballos dancing around Italian defenders. Match already turning really chippy. Italy have completely lost control and were only minutes in.

— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) June 16, 2019

However, Italy managed to work their way back into the game, pressing their opponents high up the pitch and fully deserved their equaliser through Chiesa.

Sports journalist Robbie Dunne was critical of goalkeeper Simon's part in the goal:

Unai Simon at fault there. Cheats and tries to jump Chiesa's cross and gets beaten very badly at his near post. Pointless because Vallejo had it covered.

— Robbie Dunne (@robbiejdunne) June 16, 2019

The hosts then suffered a blow before the break, as midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo was forced off with a head injury and replaced by Riccardo Orsolini.

Carlos Soler tested goalkeeper Alex Meret after the break with a fierce shot that was tipped over the crossbar, but it was Italy who struck the decisive blow through the impressive Chiesa.

Substitute Patrick Cutrone latched on to a ball into the penalty area and did well to hold up play. He was eventually dispossessed by Spain, but the ball fell kindly to Chiesa, who made no mistake with the finish:

CHIESA HAS HIS BRACE! Italy takes a 2-1 lead over Spain.

Excellent work again, winning the ball back through high pressure.

— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) June 16, 2019

Italy extended their advantage further with just eight minutes of normal time remaining when Soler was penalised for a tug on Pellegrini.

The midfielder coolly rolled the ball past Simon to secure all three points and cap a fine individual display:

🇮🇹 Lorenzo Pellegrini (22) vs Spain U21:

72 touches
36/43 passes
3/7 long balls
3/4 dribbles
3 clearances
3 fouls won
2/5 crosses
2 interceptions
1 key pass
1 goal

In a game which was often fraught, Pellegrini maintained control. pic.twitter.com/HN8I2tdjkE

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) June 16, 2019

The result is the perfect start to the tournament for the hosts against tough opposition and will give the Azzurrini confidence they can progress to the knockout stages as winners of Group A.

      

What's Next?

Both teams play their second group game on Wednesday. Italy take on Poland, while Spain face Belgium.

Marco Verratti came to Italy's rescue with an 86th-minute winner on Tuesday as they beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 to retain a three-point lead at the top of Group J in UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying.

Edin Dzeko fired in a surprise opener for the visitors after 33 minutes at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, but Lorenzo Insigne responded with a thunderous equaliser three minutes into the second half.

Verratti completed the comeback with only a few minutes left to keep Italy perfect in the group and maintain their resurgence on the international stage.

Finland beat Liechtenstein 2-0 in their Group J matchup to keep up the pace at the table summit and stay within three points of Italy.      

Bosnia applied much of the early pressure in terms of attempts on goal and were hoping to avoid another scoreless result after losing 2-0 in Finland on Saturday.

Italy have a long-standing reputation for keeping things tight defensively, but AS Roma striker Dzeko is used to devastating Italian audiences from his time in Serie A.

He found his route past Italy goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu in the 32nd minute following some fine work down the right from namesake Edin Visca and side-footed in from short range.

OptaPaolo illustrated how rare a feat it was for the visiting side:

600 - Edin Dzeko has scored against Italy after 600 minutes without goals conceded for the Azzurri. Brutus. #ItaliaBosnia

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) June 11, 2019

Sirigu was put under pressure early on in the second half and produced several good saves, but it was Italy who got the first goal after the restart to level through a sensational Insigne volley.

An Italy corner was deflected high into the air, and the Turin crowd were re-energised after Insigne shaped up and drilled his volley into the left side of Bosnia's net.

Benchwarmers reacted as many might to such a wonderfully technical hit:

https://twitter.com/BeWarmers/status/1138536814900383745

Italy had a much greater effect on Bosnia's goal in the second half and accounted for more than two thirds of possession, per Flashscores.com, but the chances weren't falling as required in front of goal.

Azzurri manager Roberto Mancini had been unbeaten at home as Italy manager coming into Tuesday's clash, a record he would have been keen to preserve.

Luckily for him, star men Insigne and Verratti came up with a composed, simple passage of play in the 86th minute to decide the fixture and keep Italy on course for first in Group J.

Napoli's speedster cut to the left side before pulling back to Paris Saint-Germain playmaker Verratti. Broadcaster Matteo Bonetti couldn't believe the space he was allowed in such territory:

Verratti inexplicably left completely alone inside the box. Insigne finds him for a calm, side footed finish into bottom corner.

🇮🇹 2-1 🇧🇦

— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) June 11, 2019

The clinical touches of two team leaders narrowly avoided an embarrassment in Turin, though Italy's defence suffered a wake-up call in the process.

Bosnia will rue this as a chance spurned after they led going in at the break, and their prospects of Euro 2020 qualification are slowly drifting away.

     

What's Next?

Italy and Bosnia will resume their Euro 2020 qualifying campaigns in September when they'll face Armenia and Lichtenstein, respectively.

      

This article will be updated to provide more information soon.

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Italy beat Greece 3-0 in Group J qualification for the 2020 UEFA European Championship on Saturday through first-half goals from Nicolo Barella, Lorenzo Insigne and Leonardo Bonucci.

Barella slotted home the opener from striker Andrea Belotti's low cross after 23 minutes, before Insigne and Bonucci quickly added further strikes to make it 3-0 at the interval, and there was no way back for the hosts.

                                  

Recap

Italy did not have to get out of second gear to collect three points against a poor Greek team in Athens; the home side appeared motivated in the opening moments but crumbled as soon as they conceded.

Belotti was the architect for the first goal of the night. The Torino hit man turned provider from the left to assist Barella, and the 22-year-old made no mistake to break the deadlock.

Insigne then struck a curling effort to perfection seven minutes later to double his side's lead

Just three minutes passed before Bonucci hammered the ball home from a corner to effectively seal the three points, with the second half a non-event as the Italians saw out the game.

Greece had fleeting attempts to beat Italy goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, but the Torino stopper was equal to the efforts on his goal.

Italy have maximum points from their opening three qualification games, with Greece in third with four points.

                    

What's Next

Both nations are back in Euro 2020 qualification action on Tuesday. Greece welcome Armenia, while Italy host Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Italy have the ideal chance to continue their perfect start to UEFA European Championship qualifying on Tuesday, when they face Liechtenstein at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in Parma.

Manager Roberto Mancini saw his side negotiate the more challenging of their two fixtures in this double header of games, as they put in a professional performance to beat Finland 2-0 on Saturday. The fact youngsters Nicolo Barella and Moise Kean got on the scoresheet would also have delighted the coach. 

Liechtenstein are unlikely to cause any problems for Italy—or for the rest of the sides in Group J—as they are the weakest of the six teams in the pool by a large margin. The aim for them on Tuesday will be emerging from the clash without being on the wrong end of a hammering.

Here are the key details for this fixture, including the latest odds and viewing information.

        

Date: Tuesday, March 26

Time: 7:45 p.m. (GMT), 3:45 p.m. (ET)

TV Info: Sky Sports Red Button (UK), ESPN+ (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), Watch ESPN (U.S.)

       

Odds

Italy win (1-41)

Draw (50-1)

Liechtenstein win (200-1)

Odds courtesy of Oddschecker

    

Preview

Having spoken a lot about the future of the Italy team recently, Mancini would have been so pleased to see some of the next generation of players make their mark against Finland.

Barella has been enjoying an excellent season with Cagliari and showed off his goalscoring potential from midfield against Finland with just seven minutes on the clock. His deflected effort from the edge of the box was his first goal for the Azzurri.

In the second half, it was Kean's time to shine, as he ensured the game was safe with his first strike for the national side in the 74th minute.

As we can see, the goal was a historic one for Italy, with the 19-year-old becoming the second-youngest player to score for the team:

19 & 23 - Moise #Kean (19 years and 23 days) is the second youngest scorer for Italy after Bruno Nicolè in 1958. Wonderkid.#ItalyFinland #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/UMqxgRRK3c

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 23, 2019

Italian football journalist David Amoyal commented on how willing Mancini is to give younger players a chance:

After selecting Zaniolo even before he made his debut for Roma, now Mancini gives Kean a start in an official match for Italy https://t.co/NZw2cLUu6D

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) March 23, 2019

The Juventus starlet showcased a brilliant burst of speed and a composed finish to score (UK only):

Moise Kean scores his first international goal with a composed finish after showing his pace!

Superb stuff from the young man 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qQrbLiALWn

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) March 23, 2019

With plenty of positives to come out of the Finland win, it's unlikely Mancini will deviate from the same setup too much against Liechtenstein.

Although there are plenty of rising stars in the squad, they are complimented by the experience of Giorgio Chiellini, Marco Verratti and Leonardo Bonucci.

Following their failure to qualify for last summer's FIFA World Cup, it means Italy are unlikely to have any major issues in their group ahead of next year's Euro 2020 showpiece.

Per Scouted Football, there was a refreshing feel to the team at the start of this set of qualification matches:

Three under-23 players made their mark as Italy defeated Finland tonight:

🇮🇹 Nicolò Barella (22)

✓ First goal for Italy

🇮🇹 Moise Kean (19)

✓ First start for Italy
✓ First goal for Italy

🇮🇹 Nicolò Zaniolo (19)

✓ First appearance for Italy

Milestone moments. pic.twitter.com/onPDNOM7Uc

— SCOUTED (@scoutedftbl) March 23, 2019

Liechtenstein don't have the quality within their ranks to make Tuesday's game a testing one for Italy. On Saturday, they were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Greece, and their only win in their last nine matches came against Gibraltar in the UEFA Nations League.

With that in mind, Italy will be expected to win by a healthy margin. With plenty of confidence and positivity accrued from Saturday's victory, expect the Azzurri to give the Parma crowd plenty to enjoy.

        

Prediction: Italy 4-0 Liechtenstein

Italy started their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Finland on Saturday, as Moise Kean bagged his debut goal for the Azzurri on his first start.

Nicolo Barella opened the scoring early with a deflected effort, but Italy never got comfortable in the first half, as Finland gave them a good game. The hosts improved after the break, however, and Kean doubled the advantage with a strong finish.

His goal made him the second-youngest scorer in Azzurri history:

19 & 23 - Moise #Kean (19 years and 23 days) is the second youngest scorer for Italy after Bruno Nicolè in 1958. Wonderkid.#ItalyFinland #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/UMqxgRRK3c

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 23, 2019

Fabio Quagliarella celebrated his return to the national team setup after an absence of over 3,000 days:

Fabio Quagliarella replaces Ciro Immobile, for his first #Azzurri appearance in 3,048 days!
Liveblog https://t.co/Omc3So10LW #ITAFIN #EURO2020 #Azzurri #Sampdoria

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) March 23, 2019

The Azzurri needed to kick off their campaign in Group J on the right foot, with tricky clashes against Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the horizon.

           

Mancini's Youthful Approach the Way Forward for Azzurri

Italy manager Roberto Mancini has committed himself to rebuilding the Azzurri, and he continued the trend on Saturday by handing two more players their starting debut and relying on youngsters elsewhere.

Barella, Kean―more on him later―and Gianluigi Donnarumma are but three youngsters expected to play a massive role for the team in the near future, while the likes of Nicolo Zaniolo and Federico Chiesa should be locks to start soon enough. The latter likely would have if not for injury:

Federico Chiesa pulled out of training with the Italy squad this afternoon, suffering from a muscular problem, and could be at risk against Finland https://t.co/3V3hdFwDCg #Azzurri #Italy #Fiorentina #ITAFIN pic.twitter.com/wy2SukiGSZ

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) March 19, 2019

On top of those youngsters, Mancini has also relied heavily on older newcomers and fringe players who didn't have a major role with the team in the past. Leonardo Spinazzola, Cristiano Piccini, Vincenzo Grifo and Leonardo Pavoletti are hardly the star names we've come to associate with the Azzurri in recent years.

But those big stars couldn't get the job done, culminating in the Italians missing out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was a dark period in the long history of the Azzurri, and it marked the beginning of a transition to a new generation.

Those up-and-coming players have a ton of talent, and it was no coincidence one of them opened the scoring on Saturday:

That feeling when you score your first senior goal for your country 🇮🇹

Nicolo Barella 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jGUgFgDH0g

— GOAL (@goal) March 23, 2019

Group J is one of the tougher qualifying groups because of its depth, and Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina could give the Azzurri a real scare. But Mancini has to persist with his current approach, knowing full well the old guard might win him some matches but is no longer capable of competing with the top teams on the continent.

The youngsters might be able to in a few years, and giving them the chance to develop now could yield major dividends down the line.

          

Moise Kean Will Be a Superstar

Chiesa, Barella, Zaniolo and Donnarumma all have superstar potential, but the most talented of the group of youngsters is undoubtedly Juventus' top prospect, Kean.

The 19-year-old made history on Saturday, becoming the youngest attacker to start for the Azzurri in over a century:

https://twitter.com/IFTVofficial/status/1109549852340281344

Mancini put his faith in the youngster despite the fact Kean has made just two starts all season, with one coming in Serie A. But even though he played out of position―out wide while Ciro Immobile started centrally―he delivered, and it was poor decision-making around him that stopped him from making a bigger impact in the first half.

Piccini missed from close range after a wonderful dribble and even better pass from Kean, and Federico Bernardeschi completely fluffed his cross while his Juventus team-mate was wide-open for a tap-in.

He kept up his strong play after the break and was finally rewarded with a goal on the counter, producing an excellent finish to give goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky no chance.

Kean has almost limitless potential, combining excellent physical tools and technique with vision and natural finishing ability. If it wasn't for the fact Juventus employ one Cristiano Ronaldo, he likely would be a starter at the club level already,

It's only a matter of time before that changes, and it will be the next step on Kean's road to superstardom. Italy have been crying out for a truly elite striker for years, and the Azzurri have finally found him.

            

What's Next?

Both teams return to the pitch on Tuesday, when Italy host Liechtenstein and Finland visit Armenia.