An early Lorenzo Pellegrini screamer and delightful Nicolò Barella lob proved enough for Italy to see off Ecuador in this second American friendly.
The Azzurri tested out the 3-4-2-1 system again, but changing the entire starting XI from the side that beat Venezuela 2-1 on Thursday, including debuts for Guglielmo Vicario and Raoul Bellanova. There was a minute’s silence at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey for Fiorentina director Joe Barone.
See how the match unfolded on the Liveblog.
It took just a couple of minutes to break the deadlock, as Federico Dimarco’s free kick was into the wall, but it bounced into the path of Pellegrini for an absolutely ferocious strike on the half-volley into the top corner.
Lorenzo Pellegrini HIT THAT 🇮🇹🚀
🎥 @LupoASRomapic.twitter.com/xHpAQPa2Dq
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 24, 2024
It should’ve been 2-0 moments later when Giacomo Raspadori spread it to Bellanova, but Dimarco got the header all wrong.
Moises Caicedo scuffed a finish wide following a counter-attack, while Bellanova sprung the offside trap on captain Nicolò Barella’s through ball and rolled across for the Dimarco tap-in, anticipated by Felix Torres. On the resulting corner, Javier Burrai made a desperate save one-on-one with Zaniolo.
Bellanova was a constant threat down the right, usually on Barella passes, but the pull-back for Giacomo Raspadori was intercepted by Pervis Estupinan.
Matteo Darmian made a crucial block to stop Gonzalo Plata tapping in at the near post and Raspadori’s counter was deflected over, while Estupinan just failed to get his head to a dangerous Alan Minda cross.
After the restart, Zaniolo wasted another good chance with a diving header wide on Pellegrini’s free kick, while Alan Franco should’ve done much better when firing over from just inside the area as a deflected cross bounced into his path.
Vicario made his first save in the Italy jersey on 68 minutes, as Plata cut inside and hit a screamer from the edge of the area, then Estupinan’s follow-up curled just wide of the far post.
The Nazionale began to look fatigued and Ecuador put together a series of corners, but without really threatening.
Instead, Italy added a second on the counter-attack in stoppages when Riccardo Orsolini’s nutmeg assist allowed Barella to go clear and the captain waited for the goalkeeper to come out before dinking it over him.
Ecuador 0-2 Italy
Pellegrini 3 (I), Barlela 94 (I)
Ecuador: Burrai; Torres, Pacho, Hincapie; Preciado, Franco (Gruezo 79), Caicedo, Estupinan; Plata, Minda (Paez 65), Sarmiento (Obando 79)
Italy: Vicario; Darmian, Mancini, Bastoni; Bellanova (Di Lorenzo 46), Jorginho (Locatelli 67), Barella, Dimarco (Cambiaso 88); Zaniolo (Orsolini 75), Pellegrini (Frattesi 67); Raspadori (Retegui 75)
Ref: Freeman (USA)
Bellanova should start over Di Lorenzo. Raspadori and Locatelli did not do well. Di marco also wasted great chances. Orsolini should start over Zaniolo.