UDINE (REUTERS) - Midfielder Nicolo Barella and forward Moise Kean scored their first international goals to give Italy a 2-0 win over Finland in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier on Saturday (March 23).
Barella, 22, gave Italy the perfect start by scoring with a deflected shot after seven minutes and Kean, the first player born after 2000 to play for Italy, added the second in the 74th minute.
Italy's first home win since they beat Israel in a World Cup qualifier in September, 2017 gave them an ideal start as they attempt to put their failure to qualify for last year's World Cup behind them.
Finland clearly set out to frustrate Italy but that plan had to be scrapped when a clearance went straight to Barella who met it first time from the edge of the area and a deflection wrong-footed goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.
The visitors came into the game but made little headway and Italy's Federico Bernardeschi had a penalty appeal waved away before halftime.
Italy survived a major fright in the 65th minute as Robin Lod burst down the right in acres of space and slipped the ball to Teemu Pukki who turned his shot wide from six metres.
Having got into plenty of good positions only to be let down by their final pass, Italy finally got it right when Ciro Immobile slipped the ball through to Kean and the 19-year-old fired a confident finish past Hradecky.
Â
Serie A's leading scorer Fabio Quagliarella was brought on and the 36-year-old fired a right foot shot against the crossbar.
A password will be e-mailed to you. Password recovery
Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri 'offended' by insult from Burnley
Gini Wijnaldum has revealed what Liverpool have learned from their defeat at Manchester City earlier this month. The Reds were beaten 2-1 at the Etihad on January 3 in a dramatic encounter between
Klopp: Reds can make the next step | eir Sport
'We are confident of having him at Ajax': Juventus manager Max Allegri reveals Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit for Champions League quarter-final clash Kane in Champions League final and says
Juventus news: Allegri 'confident' Ronaldo will be fit for
LIVERPOOL, England - Bayern Munich showed all their Champions League experience and quality organisation as they held Liverpool to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their last 16 match at Anfield on Tuesday in a game of few chances and little drama.
Football: Solid and smart Bayern hold Liverpool at Anfield in
Benzema saves Real Madrid blushes with late Huesca winner Karim Benzema stopped Real Madrid's underwhelming La Liga season going from bad to worse on Sunday after firing a last-minute winner
Benzema saves Real Madrid blushes with late Huesca winner
Their Eyes Were Watching God (Book) : Hurston, Zora Neale : A PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick A deeply soulful novel that comprehends love and cruelty, and separates the big people from the small of heart, without ever losing sympathy for those unfortunates who don't know how to live properly.
Eleven Sports is the only place to watch the 2018 PGA Championship (Picture: Getty Images) There is a new player in the sports broadcasting market in the UK as Eleven Sports begins to make a
Eleven Sports Usa
elevensportsusa.com
with a fresh, fan-first approach, we create engagement around your favorite sports so you can get up-close and personal with all the action. ELEVEN SPORTS is a pioneering and award-winning global sports provider dedicated to delivering world-class domestic and international sports and lifestyle entertainment.
Which sport are you made for? Take our 60-second test - bbc.com
Liverpool and Arsenal favourites to miss out on a place in the Premier League's top four With the top six in the Premier League already beginning to establish themselves, Callum Rice-Coates
Why Arsenal Are the Favourites To Win the Premier League
Football: Chelsea boss Sarri demands more from 'individual' Hazard Hazard's future is a source of fevered speculation, with the player refusing to extend his current Chelsea deal, which expires
Football: Chelsea boss Sarri demands more from 'individual
Fulham dig deep to deny Newcastle and earn first clean sheet
Tottenham Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino believes Moussa Sissoko will not be fit for another two weeks due to a groin injury. Spurs' Sissoko likely to miss Ajax opener Son has been a
Spurs boss Pochettino slapped with Champions League ban for
0 comments:
Post a Comment