Italy are through to the European Under-21 Championship play-offs after thrashing Cyprus 7-1, even if they went a goal down.
Italy are through to the European Under-21 Championship play-offs after thrashing Cyprus 7-1, even if they went a goal down.
The Azzurrini knew a victory in Castel di Sangro would send them through to the play-offs as group winners ahead of Serbia and Belgium. Gigi Di Biagio’s boys had a scare last week when 2-0 down to Serbia, but fought back for a 3-2 win with Andrea Belotti’s brace and Domenico Berardi.
Cristian Battocchio’s angled drive was deflected inches off target by the goalkeeper’s outstretched foot, then the ex-Watford man stung his gloves from distance.
However, in a shock twist it was Cyprus who took the lead on Italian soil. A cross came in from the right and Pieros Sotiriou was allowed to jump relatively undisturbed for the header.
Zannettos Mytidis came to the rescue again, beating away a Davide Zappacosta effort, while Berardi’s volley skimmed the far post.
Fiorentina’s Federico Bernardeschi got the Azzurrini back on track with a looping header, aided by a deflection off a defender.
Deep into first half stoppages it had been turned round, as Zappacosta’s cross was accidentally bundled over the line by Antreas Panayiotou.
Mytidis parried from Battocchio, but Genoa midfielder Stefano Sturaro blasted under the bar from the edge of the box.
Palermo striker Belotti got his third goal in two games with a daisy-cutter into the near bottom corner, while Jacopo Dezi celebrated his debut strike at this level, nodding in a Bernardeschi cross.
Bernardeschi also set up Italy’s sixth, allowing Samuele Longo to spring the offside trap and waltz round the goalkeeper into an empty net.
Battocchio’s deflected shot clipped the base of the upright and from the resulting corner Daniele Rugani volleyed in after a wayward Bernardeschi shot turned into an assist.
Lorenzo Crisetig was so close to 8-1, his free kick thumping the crossbar, but there were some concerns as Bernardeschi hobbled off in the final minutes.
Italy 7-1 Cyprus
Scorers: Sotiriou 29 (C), Bernardeschi 41 (I), Panayiotou og 45 (I), Sturaro 55 (I), Belotti 62 (I), Dezi 70 (I), Longo 76 (I), Rugani 80 (I)
Italy U21: Bardi; Zappacosta, Bianchetti, Rugani, Sabelli; Sturaro, Viviani (Crisetig 74); Berardi (Dezi 60), Bernardeschi, Battocchio; Belotti (Longo 64)
Cyprus U21: Mytidis; Moulazimis (Panayiotou 21), Christofides, Ioannou, Efthimiou; Z Theodorou, Froxylias (Kosmas 74), P Theodorou (Poutziouris 60); Roushias, Kyprianou, Sotiriou
Ref: Amhof (SUI)