Italy coach Roberto Mancini will not soon forget Thursday night.

His team had won 5-0 against Lithuania in the World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday evening.

After two draws in previous encounters, the clear victory against an overwhelmed opponent was a break for the European champions.

Mancini could not savor the success accordingly.

On the way home in my own car, it was around midnight, all of a sudden I couldn't go any further. The autobahn was closed - and without prior notice. “That's how the Italian highways are,” Mancini scolded afterwards on social networks. "Shame on you," added the angry Commisario Tecnico. The day after, one asked oneself: Was it really the closed autobahn, or did the blockade just open a valve to the snorting national coach?

Because the warm late summer evening in Reggio Emilia could actually have reconciled the European champions.

The 5-0 win against the bottom of Group C was the Mancini team's 37th game without a defeat, a world record.

Exactly three years ago, the then European champions Portugal last defeated the team that had been traumatized by the missed 2018 World Cup, and since then nobody has been able to beat Mancini's men.

"The footballer's career is short"

On Wednesday evening in the Mapei stadium, the squadra azzurra were 4-0 in the lead after just under half an hour.

All four goals were scored with the help of the two 21-year-old substitute strikers Moise Kean and Giacomo Raspadori.

Kean, on loan from Everton to Juventus Turin, scored two goals and impressed with his dynamism and presence. Raspadori from FC Sassuolo provoked Edgaras Utkus to score an own goal and scored ten minutes later to make it 3-0. "Baby Boom" was the headline of Corriere dello Sport. The Gazzetta dello Sport found the presentation of the two young stars “overwhelming”. Italy succeeded in everything that evening. Giovanni di Lorenzo scored the 5-0 with a failed cross.

Raspadori has been compared to legends such as Paulo Rossi or Filippo Inzaghi because of his maneuverability in the penalty area.

In the training camp, in addition to preparing for the games, he also studied for an anatomy exam at the university.

“The footballer's career is short,” says the 21-year-old, who has only just stepped into the limelight and was already in the European Championship squad, but was without a game.

Mancini's player pool continues to provide surprises, and this fact could also be true after the discovery of the Jorginhos, Spinazzolas, Locatellis and Chiesas at the European Championship tournament.

"Who still believes in Italy?"

By Wednesday, however, the Italian sports press had devoted itself excessively to the team's alleged striker problem. Because the ailing regular Ciro Immobile (Lazio Rome) has already scored four goals in two Serie A games. His last goal for the national team was seven games back. As a striker or coach, you can start pondering.

Mancini's team, which the coach filled in nine positions compared to the 0-0 win against Switzerland on Sunday, was committed and focused against Lithuania, just like a European champion. "We are, too!", The elf, who suddenly seemed unsettled after the Italian midsummer night's dream, seemed to reassure herself. The Italians are not only good at football, but also when they have doubts about themselves. Playmaker Jorginho had carelessly missed a penalty in the World Cup qualifier against Switzerland on Sunday, the fifth in the last 15 attempts. “Who still believes in Italy? Certainly not you! ”, The Brazilian, who was naturalized in 2012, then provoked the journalists.

The thought that in the event of a defeat in the decisive qualifying game against Switzerland in November, Italy would not be able to qualify directly as group runner-up, but would have to go to the play-offs, had already developed its own momentum. The trauma of missing the qualification for the 2018 World Cup became noticeable, it has still not been digested despite the European Championship title. The victory over Lithuania was now the answer to an emerging downward spiral. Switzerland also did not get beyond a 0-0 draw against Northern Ireland on Wednesday.

At the top game in Rome in November, Italy will probably only have a draw to qualify for the World Cup. In this respect, the Tifosi can be grateful to the Italian motorway company for the roadblock. Mancini is back on track. The trainer obviously needed an occasion to vent.