Italy set a new all-time world record 37-game unbeaten run by thrashing Lithuania 5-0 with Moise Kean’s double, Giacomo Raspadori scoring one and creating another, before Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s wayward cross.
The Azzurri were in dire need of a boost after back-to-back draws against Bulgaria and Switzerland, hosting the minnows of the group who had lost all eight games in 2021. However, options were limited by injuries to Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, Marco Verratti, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Federico Chiesa, Stefano Sensi and Nicolò Zaniolo, so Giacomo Raspadori had his first start in Sassuolo’s home stadium.
It took just 11 minutes to break the deadlock, as Arvydas Novikovas gave it away under pressure and Moise Kean pounced to drill between the goalkeeper and the near post.
Moments later, hometown boy Giacomo Raspadori on his first start hit a curler from the edge of the box, which seemed to be going wide until it took a big deflection off Edgaras Utkus to completely wrong-foot the goalkeeper, so was awarded as an own goal.
Raspadori did get his goal soon after, as Lasickas intercepted a Giovanni Di Lorenzo roll across to Kean at the back post, but the Sassuolo striker firing into the roof of the net from six yards.
So far, Italy were 3-0 up with an own goal and two Lithuanian assists, but there were few complaints about the fourth. Federico Bernardeschi put a pass over the top, where Kean met it with a splendid volleyed finish off the inside of the left boot from eight yards.
Raspadori had the ball in the net again after the restart, but he was offside when gathering the rebound from a parried Davide Calabria strike.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo added the fifth, although the celebrations for his debut Italy goal were a little sheepish, as it was clearly meant to be a cross that looped over everyone into the far top corner.
This result boosts Italy’s status in the World Cup qualifying group, giving them a goal difference of +11. There was almost another, as Gaetano Castrovilli’s scorcher thumped the upright.
There was also a boost from Northern Ireland, who held Switzerland 0-0 with a saved penalty.
Italy 5-0 Lithuania
Kean 11, 29 (I), Utkus og 14 (I), Raspadori 24 (I), Di Lorenzo 54 (I)
Italy: Donnarumma (Sirigu 46); Di Lorenzo, Acerbi, Bastoni, Biraghi (Calabria 46); Pessina, Jorginho (Castrovilli 61), Cristante; Bernardeschi (Scamacca 61), Raspadori, Kean (Berardi 73)
Lithuania: Setkus; Lasickas, Klimavicius (Tutyskinas 83), Utkus (Satkus 46), Slavickas (Barauskas 46); Dapkus (Megelaitis 46), Slivka; D Kazlauskas, Verbickas, Novikovas; Dubickas (Uzela 73)
Ref: Pawson (ENG)
Big win and a draw for Switzerland – so all back on track to win group.
I know this game was against a lowly side so shouldn’t read too much into it, but… why the hell are we playing Berardi ahead of Kean (e.g. at the Euros)? I’m not too familiar with either of them but at least in the second half they played in the same position, and Kean seems in a different league altogether.
@Michael, to be fair to Berardi, he was in fine form heading into the Euro’s, netting in 4 or 5 consecutive games. He also started the Euro’s in solid fashion, having a role in many of the early goals that we scored.
He doesn’t look at the races right now. It’s probably a combination of him not having played a club game this season and also because he couldn’t engineer a move away from Sassuolo.
But yes, Kean looks to be a more lively forward. Even before last nights game he has always been a menace for Italy’s opponents.