Italy U-21’s beat Slovenia U-21’s 1-0 at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore on Tuesday afternoon to start their Euro 2017 Qualification campaign with a win.
Federico Bernadeschi scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot to give the Azzurrini the win, however, the game was not by any means stellar with the first-half especially poor as Italians struggled to break down a stubborn defence.
Did we get our ratings right? Have your say below.
Alessio Cragno -6.5- Solid
The Cagliari goalkeeper had very little to do but did make one very good save in the second-half which probably proved to be crucial considering Italy’s profligacy in front of goal.
Andrea Conti -6- Alert
Conti played well throughout, he was eager to get forward and put in a number of troubling crosses. He was also strong and committed in his defensive duties.
Daniele Rugani -6.5- Aware
The highly-rated Juventus defender showed why he is so highly coveted in Italy when he actually had to defend. Calm when playing out from the back, he also showed good anticipation to mop up any danger.
Alessio Romagnoli -6- Standard
The former Roma defender was also solid and composed in his duties. Like Rugani he showed a great aptitude at playing out from the back as well as being strong in the air.
Nicola Murru -7- Slick
Murru, like his Cagliari teammate Cragno, was very impressive, strong in attack and defence he managed to win his side a penalty which proved crucial to the result.
Rolando Mandragora -5- Quiet
The Genoa youngster played okay but from that deep-lying midfield position he often gave the ball away and was inconsistent in his tackling. He also should have scored in the second-half.
Marco Benassi -6- Ordinary
Benassi looked to be slightly out of form today, though he made no mistakes he also failed to shine and looked scared to take risks.
Danilo Cataldi -6- Adequate
The Lazio midfielder was, like Benassi okay, but his passing really lacked the penetration and creativity that the Azzurrini needed against a packed defence.
Kingsley Boateng -6.5- Spiky
Boateng was direct throughout and troubled the Slovenian defence with his pace on many occasions. However, he missed a very decent chance in the first-half.
Federico Bernardeschi -7- Spark
Easily the Azzurrini’s pest player, as well as scoring the penalty in a very cool fashion he was constantly looking to make things happen with his direct play.
Gaetano Monachello -6- Average
Really should have scored in the first half, but he did show some good flashes and his hold-up and link play was impressive.
Subs:
Antonio Barreca -N/A-
