Davide Frattesi warns ‘the first 15-20 minutes will be crucial’ against Hungary, as Italy put their faith in younger forwards this evening.
It kicks off at the Puskas Arena in Budapest at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens on the LIVEBLOG.
“We played very well against a strong side like England, what we want to see here is consistency in performance and results from that game,” Frattesi told Sky Sport Italia.
“Hungary have the home advantage, they are playing for an historic achievement, but we’re going for history too and we’re here for the win.
“We need a strong performance and hope to bring home the three points.”
Hungary have built their success in this Nations League group on defend and counter, beating Germany 1-0 away from home on Friday evening, after the shock 4-0 victory in England.
Meanwhile, Italy for the second game in a row have set themselves out in a 3-5-2 formation.
“This system is new, but we have many strong and versatile players, so we can adapt very quickly. We saw in the analysis that Hungary tend to start strong and then clam up, so it is very important that we start strong, as the first 15-20 minutes will be crucial.”
Frattesi is only one of several current and former Sassuolo players in the Italy squad, as it has proved to be a real hothouse for Italian talent.
“It certainly helps, and I also had three years in Serie B, so I advise all young players to not be in too much of a hurry to get into Serie A. Try to learn and get there when you are truly ready.
“I am no longer that young, but we’ve got some very young strikers upfront today and you can see from that how much the coach cares about helping youth come true.”
Giacomo Raspadori – formerly of Sassuolo – and new Leeds United forward Wilfried Gnonto start upfront today.
“I know Raspa very well, the step up in level to Napoli has certainly been good for him.”