Italy drew 1-1 with Spain at the Stadio Friuli in a friendly on Thursday evening.
Substitute Lorenzo Insigne gave the Azzurri the lead in the 67th minute but Aritz Aduriz levelled the scores three minutes later with a scrappy goal from a set piece.
Italy started encouragingly and Sergio Ramos was forced to make a desperate intervention from an Antonio Candreva cross and the Real Madrid defender’s clearance hit the near post on its way out for a corner in the fifth minute.
Candreva tested David De Dea in the 15th minute with a strike from distance but the goalkeeper got down well to stop the striker with a strong hand.
The Azzurri worked some space down the right but Emanuele Giaccherini’s ball across the face of goal was claimed by De Gea.
Italy looked the livelier of the teams and prevented the visitors from controlling the ball and Giaccherini had a volley in the box blocked in the 24th minute.
The Azzurri had a pair of chances around the 39th minute as Pelle and Giaccherini both registered shots on target but neither came close to beating De Gea.
Eder almost drove into the Spain box in the 49th minute but was stopped at the last moment and the game’s rhythm slipped after he and others were substituted.
Italy won the ball in the 59th minute and Giaccherini carried it from halfway to the Spain box before sliding it to the fresh arrival Insigne who fired a curling shot which was saved well by De Gea.
Italy’s domination continued and Insigne played in Alessandro Florenzi down the right who saw his low shot to the far post saved well.
The Azzurri took a deserved lead through Insigne in the 67th minute after Giaccherini picked out the Napoli player with an excellent first-time pass and he made no mistake from in front of goal.
Spain equalised minutes later after a free kick was headed goalward by Alvaro Morata, Gianluigi Buffon spilled it and Aritz Aduriz converted from close range on the rebound although the goal should have been disallowed for offside.
Insigne tried to claim his second with an audacious chip from the edge of the area but De Gea was there to palm it over and in the end neither side was able to break the deadlock again.
