✅ Young Italy win: Pio Esposito matches Meazza and Rivera 🔝 Baldini 👌 | OneFootball

Italy opens the Silvio Baldini era with a 1-0 win over Luxembourg, on a night primarily meant to test the new Azzurri generation.

The match was decided by Pio Esposito, who scored in the 49th minute from a Pisilli assist. Two young Italians who have already built up experience and important minutes at a high level, putting themselves forward as potential cornerstones for the future of the national team.

More than the result, it is the message that matters: after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time, Italy has chosen to start again from its youth.

Against modest opposition, there were encouraging technical and mental signs, along with the feeling that this group could represent an interesting foundation for the future.

🌟 Debut for Samuel Inacio

National team debut for Samuel Inacio, Borussia Dortmund striker born in 2008.

The BVB gem and former Atalanta player came on late in the game.

💥 Pisilli hits the post: Italy close to a second

Italy goes close to doubling the lead through Pisilli: the Roma midfielder times his run perfectly behind Pio Esposito and strikes with conviction from inside the penalty area.

His effort lacks accuracy and hits the outside of the post before going out.

🔝 Pio Esposito like Meazza and Rivera

Francesco Pio Esposito (4 goals in 8 matches) is only the 3rd player to score more than three goals for Italy before turning 21, after Giuseppe Meazza (11) and Gianni Rivera (5).

🎯 Pisilli for Pio Esposito: the No. 9 SOARS, Italy 1-0

Italy breaks the deadlock early in the second half through Francesco Pio Esposito.

In the 49th minute, from a Pisilli corner, the Italy number 9 beats everyone to the near post and heads it toward the far post, scoring the goal that puts Italy in front.

💣 Italy DANGEROUS, Donnarumma never tested

It is 0-0 at half-time between Luxembourg and Italy, but Baldini’s Azzurri showed encouraging signs.

The experimental national team displayed good passages of play and personality, even if they were unable to convert the chances they created. Pio Esposito tried to surprise the goalkeeper with a backheel, Niccolò went close to giving Italy the lead by hitting the side netting, while Koleosho finished weakly after a fine attacking move.

At the other end, Gianluigi Donnarumma was largely untroubled, with Luxembourg only occasionally threatening and never creating any real scoring chances.

🤯 Backheel + bicycle kick by Pio Esposito: Italy VERY CLOSE to scoring

Italy comes close to scoring in the 25th minute with a fine piece of skill from Pio Esposito.

Stationed in the penalty area, the Italy and Inter striker receives a cross and tries to fool the defence and the opposing goalkeeper with an effort that misses the target by very little.

Shortly afterwards, the Azzurri number 9 tries again with a bicycle kick from inside the box: the shot goes just wide.

⛔ No VAR or GLT

The match between Luxembourg and Italy will be played without technology: no VAR and no Goal Line Technology in this friendly.

In addition, the two teams will have 11 substitutions available.

🤩 Italy’s youth movement: record starting XI

Italy fields a starting lineup with an average age of 21 years and 354 days.

As reported by Opta, it is the youngest for the Azzurri in a match since 22/12/1912 (21 years and 308 days against Austria in a friendly, with Umberto Meazza as coach). 

✅ The OFFICIAL lineups

LUXEMBOURG (4-5-1): Moris; Jans, Korac, Carlson, Pinto; Thill, Martins, Olesen, Moreira, Bonhert; Sinani. Coach: Strasser.

ITALY (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Favasuli, Chiarodia, Comuzzo, Bartesaghi; Ndour, Lipani, Pisilli; Cherubini, Pio Esposito, Koleosho. Coach: Baldini

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.