Vincenzo Grifo bagged a brace after Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s goal, as Italy came back from an Ardian Ismajli opener to win 3-1 in Albania, but both teams rattled the woodwork too.
This friendly gave Roberto Mancini the opportunity to experiment with a 3-4-3 formation and some new faces, including the full debut for Atalanta’s 18-year-old Giorgio Scalvini.
Grifo’s curler was off target, then after a quick passing move Giacomo Raspadori’s shot was parried at the near post, with Nicolò Zaniolo blasting the rebound over from 12 yards.
However, Albania took the lead with their first real foray forward and it was a goal made in Serie A. Nedim Bajrami floated a long free kick to the back post for his Empoli teammate Ardian Ismajli’s looping header in off the underside of the crossbar. It was the first goal Albania had ever scored against Italy at the fourth game.
Federico Dimarco’s pressing troubled Etrit Berisha and the equaliser saw Grifo’s cross chipped to the near stick where Giovanni Di Lorenzo surprised defenders by volleying in from close range.
Zaniolo very nearly scored a stunner moments later, sent clear by a Dimarco ball over the top and his lob landing on the roof of the net.
The Azzurri turned it around completely with Raspadori springing the offside trap and drawing Marash Kumbulla towards him only to generously send a disguised pass across for unmarked Grifo to score.
Raspadori’s deflected effort was smothered, but Sandro Tonali was stretchered off just before half-time after landing awkwardly on his shoulder.
Zaniolo was unlucky to thump the base of the upright in first half stoppages after good work from Raspadori.
After the restart, Meret got his gloves to a Marash Kumbulla header at the near post and Chelsea striker Armando Broja limped off after a sprain.
Grifo almost completed his brace, a right-foot strike smashing off the underside of the crossbar from just inside the area.
Albania also rattled the frame of the goal with Myrto Uzuni, then Meret had the Odise Roshi rebound covered.
They hit the bar again on the counter-attack with Bajrami before Leonardo Bonucci performed a goal-line clearance on the Roshi follow-up.
However, Grifo did double his tally when Marco Verratti’s low cross was deflected into his path, placing the finish from just inside the box with the inside of the right boot. It was Grifo’s second Italy brace after the 4-0 friendly win over Estonia in November 2020.
Dimarco’s volley was beaten away at the near post on a Verratti pass, then Meret had to do the same on Roshi unmarked at the back stick and on an acrobatic Xhuliano Skuka overhead kick.
Mancini gave Federico Chiesa his Azzurri comeback and the debut for 16-year-old Udinese talent Simone Pafundi. The pair combined in stoppages, Chiesa firing Pafundi’s flicked header straight at the goalkeeper.
Albania 1-3 Italy
Ismajli 15 (A), Di Lorenzo 20 (I), Grifo 25, 63 (I)
Albania: Berisha; Ismajli (A Bajrami 71), Kumbulla, Mihaj; Hysaj, Abrashi (Ramadani 77), Bare (Laci 87), N Bajrami (Asllani 71), Lenjani; Broja (Roshi 50), Uzuni (Skuka 87)
Italy: Meret; Scalvini, Bonucci (Pinamonti 89), Bastoni; Di Lorenzo, Tonali (Ricci 44), Verratti (Pafundi 89), Dimarco; Zaniolo (Fagioli 77), Raspadori (Chiesa 89), Grifo (Gnonto 77)
Italy will be absolutely kicking themselves they haven’t qualified for the WC.
With no great teams in it, that trophy is there for the taking for any half decent side who play well. Italy would have been one of the favourites.