Rome (AFP)
An experimental Italy, without its usual holders, strolled against a very weak Moldova (6-0), Wednesday in Florence, the opportunity for the newcomers to show themselves and for El Shaawary to sign his first double with the Azzurri .
This B team, without Verratti, Immobile, Chiesa, Bonucci and others, continued the current invincibility series with now 17 consecutive matches without defeat (14 wins, 3 draws).
But the essential was not there for the Italian coach Roberto Mancini: before the two Nations League matches in Poland and against the Netherlands, he took advantage of this friendly match against a less upscale opponent to afford a large review of the troops and very broadly involve his group eight months before Euro-2021.
Stephan El Shaarawy (Shanghai Shenhua), to whom he entrusted the captain's armband, gave him this sign of confidence with a double, his first in the national team, in subtlety for the first (30th) and with an angry head for the second (45 + 1st) which allowed Italy to win the locker room with already five goals ahead.
The evening was also that of the first on all floors: first goal in selection for Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante (18th), first selection and first goal for Sassuolo striker Francesco Caputo (23rd), first goal for his teammate Sassuolo Domenico Berardi (72nd) and first selections for the goalkeeper Cagliari Cragno, who entered the second half.
© 2020 AFP