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15 October 2019Roberto Mancini as Vittorio Pozzo. Eighty years later Italy puts on another strip of nine straight wins with the sound 5-0 in Vaduz against Liechtenstein (which heroically holds up to 70 minutes with just one goal on the deficit). Result that retains the top scoring situation in Group J (already mathematically won last Saturday) of qualifying for Euro 2020. For the coach (who won all eight matches played in 2019) many new faces in the field to try the alternatives in view of the choice of the 23 who will play the European Championship in June.Absolute debut for Di Lorenzo, debut from 1 'for the' German 'Grifo and for Zaniolo. Verratti (who wears the captain's armband) is the only 'confirmed' with respect to Greece. Start with fireworks. A game change by Polverino is misread by Sirigu, who then remedies Salanovic's shot. Then Gianluca Mancini walls Goppel. Facing reversal: Biraghi centers for Bernardeschi, who opens the score on the second minute. Italy makes the ball run with good precision in search of the imbucata (Bernardeschi and Zaniolo try to do it), Liechtenstein does not give up the restarts: Salanovic still sheds light and commits Sirigu. The Azzurri miss the last pass to overcome the extremely double line to protect the area arranged by Kolvidsson and the speed of movement decreases as the minutes pass. Right at the end of the fraction, another thrill for Sirigu that doesn't see Yildiz on Di Lorenzo's back pass and remedies in trouble.
Recovery with the most enterprising Italy. Belotti, in the shade in the first half, is proposed with continuity. Zaniolo is just a few meters from the door on a corner development but is badly mistaken. Mancini put El Shaarawy in place of the Roma player and moved Bernardeschi to midfield in the quarter-hour (expected experiment). At that very moment, Salanovic dialogues well and frees himself at the limit for a right-footed shot that severely commits Sirigu. Once the danger is over, the Azzurri press again. And in the 70th minute Belotti enters Grifo's corner with the goal, effectively closing the match. Shortly afterwards it is up to Tonali, Mancini's 20th rookie, who takes over from Bernardeschi. Liechtenstein leaves physically and the Azzurri camp in the opposing quarter. Another corner kick at the root of the third goal, with El Shaarawy collecting on the opposite front and crossing for Romagnoli's winning header (first goal in blue) at 77 '. Smile also for El Shaarawy (who was missing in blue from November 2017) served to the kiss by Cristante for the diagonal that is worth the poker to the 82 '. It closes in the 92nd minute with Di Lorenzo making light on the right and crossing for the second winning goalkeeper of the 'gallo' Belotti.