Italy 7-0 San Marino: Hosts warm-up for Euro 2020 with friendly win
Italy 7-0 San Marino: Matteo Pessina and Matteo Politano grab chance to impress by scoring twice as hosts warm-up for European Championship by thrashing minnows in friendly
- Captain Federico Bernardeschi hammered them into a 31st minute lead
- Defender Gian Marco Ferrari added a second three minutes later on his debut
- Pessina and sub Politano both scored twice in the second-half to seal rout
- Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here.
Italy warmed up for the European Championship in style with a 7-0 thrashing of San Marino in a friendly on Friday.
Roberto Mancini’s side struggled to break down the minnows early on in Sardinia, but captain Federico Bernardeschi hammered them into a 31st minute lead before Sassuolo defender Gian Marco Ferrari added a second three minutes later on his debut.
Matteo Politano fired home four minutes into the second half to make it 3-0 and Torino striker Andrea Belotti scored a well-taken fourth before Matteo Pessina netted a fifth moments later.
Italy captain Federico Bernardeschi hammered his side into a 31st minute lead
Sassuolo defender Gian Marco Ferrari added a second three minutes later on his debut
Matteo Politano came off the bench to score twice for the hosts in the second-half
Italy: Cragno (Meret 63), Toloi, Mancini (Di Lorenzo 64), Ferrari, Biraghi (Bastoni 74),Castrovilli, Cristante, Pessina (Barella 88), Bernardeschi, Kean (Politano 47), Grifo (Belotti 63).
Subs Not Used: Sirigu, Locatelli, Insigne, Berardi, Florenzi, Immobile.
Goals: Bernardeschi 32, Ferrari 35, Politano 49, Belotti 67, Pessina 74, Politano 77, Pessina 87.
San Marino: Elia Benedettini, Manuel Battistini, Fabbri, Rossi, Grandoni (Vitaioli 52), Enrico Golinucci, Mularoni (Alessandro Golinucci 88), Fabio Tomassini (Brolli 51), Hirsch (Lunadei 51),Palazzi (D’Addario 73), Nanni (David Tomassini 88).
Subs Not Used: Stimac, Michael Battistini, Cevoli, Zonzini, Simone Benedettini.
Ref: Trustin Farrugia (Malta).
A brilliant volley from Politano and a close-range finish by Pessina late on sealed a seventh straight win for Italy.
Italy play one more warm-up match ahead of the June 11-July 11 Euro 2020 against Czech Republic next Friday in Bologna.
The Italians play in the tournament’s opening match against Turkey before facing Switzerland and Wales, all in Rome.
“The result was obvious, it was important to be aggressive and to play well with speed in our passing,” Mancini told Rai Sport. “Some performances gave me something to think about (for the final Euros squad selection). I’ve some very good players.”
The Azzurri coach gave some of the fringe members of his provisional 33-man Euro 2020 squad a chance to impress as he looks to cut his selection to 26 before the tournament, but Italy struggled to make any inroads in the opening half hour.
Bernardeschi’s sixth goal for his country broke the deadlock as he scored with a powerful strike from the edge of the area before Ferrari capitalised on a goalkeeping error to fire home the second as Mancini’s men eventually clicked into gear.
After the break, the floodgates opened as the defensive mistakes started to creep into San Marino’s play.
Torino striker Andrea Belotti scored a well-taken fourth in the second-half
Midfielder Matteo Pessina also grabbed the chance to impress Italy boss Roberto Mancini
Politano’s first goal came about due to a defensive slip, before Belottiâs 12th Italy strike extended the advantage.
After Pessina’s fifth, his first goal for his country, Politano became the second-ever Napoli player to score a double for Italy. Pessina then capped a night to remember for the Atalanta midfielder with his second.
Italy are now unbeaten in 26 matches under Mancini, the country’s second longest run without losing, one ahead of Marcelo Lippi and only behind the great Vittorio Pozzo, whose side did not lose in 30 games between 1935 and 1939.
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