Italy trounced Brazilian side Fluminense 5-3 at the Estádio General Sílvio Raulino de Oliveira in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday evening, in a competitive training match before the World Cup.
The Azzurri took the lead twice in the first half thanks to respective goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Ciro Immobile, but were pegged back first by Chiquinho then Carlinhos. Then a second half two minute flurry saw Immobile bag two and Insigne another, before Matheus Carvalho added a third for the home side.
Cesare Prandelli almost completely changed his line-up with only Ignazio Abate a survivor from the starting XI that faced Luxembourg, while Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile and Alessio Cerci were all given starting berths.
In a quiet opening 10 minutes of the game Immobile was the first to have a decent chance at goal, but scuffed a shot miles wide after being our through on goal.
Then midway through the opening period, Insigne made the breakthrough.
Immobile was put through on goal and as Fluminense goalkeeper Felipe came to the meet the forward he tapped the ball to his former Pescara teammate who slid the ball into an empty net.
However, the lead would last just two minutes as Chiquinho was first to a cross from the right, as Gustavo fired the ball past Mattia Perin, to tap into an open goal.
The goals kept coming as just six minutes later, Insigne and Immobile combined again, with the latter firing a glancing header into the top corner, following a left hand cross from the Napoli man.
This time though, the lead lasted five minutes with Carlinhos getting onto a through ball from Jean, and his toe-poke going through the hands of Perin and trickled over the line.
In the final moments of the half Aquilani played Abate in and the AC Milan defender had his shot deflected over.
Fluminense were first to threaten in the second period with Walter hitting a speculative shot from outside the penalty area which required some quick thinking from Perin to keep it out.
But it was Italy who once more took the lead with Marco Parolo putting Alessio Cerci in on goal but his shot was saved by Felipe, though it fell to Immobile who fired home his second of the game.
And just a minute later Immobile got his hat-trick. This time linking up with Thiago Motta and beating the offside trap to poke past Felipe.
Then it was five with Immobile intercepting a poor back pass to then give Insigne an open goal to fire into.
Prandelli then made nine changes with the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Mario Balotelli, Andrea Barzagli, Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Cassano coming making their way onto the pitch.
Fluminense then pulled a goal back thanks to Matheus Carvalho’s spectacular effort.
Italy then retreated following the changes and seemed to welcome pressure from the Brazilian side. Jean went close from a free kick and Carvalho tried to pull a cross back into the danger area but it was cleared by Bonucci.
Substitute Antonio Mirante then made an excellent reaction save as Carvalho got on the end of Biro Biro’s ball into the area, but could couldn’t get the ball past the Parma man from six yards.
