Italy U21 coach Paolo Nicolato concedes the Azzurrini ‘will suffer’ against Sweden tomorrow: ‘It’s a crucial match.’
The Azzurrini host Sweden at Monza’s U Power Stadium on Tuesday, October 12, at 16.30 UK time.
The Scandinavians are the Group F leaders in the European qualifiers but have a game in hand.
Earlier last week, Italy beat Bosnia 2-1 with two assists from Milan starlet Sandro Tonali.
“The game against Sweden will be a crucial one,” Nicolato said at his pre-match press conference, as quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We must put in a lot of attention defensively, these games will make us grow. Sweden will have an offensive mentality and will try to keep the ball possession.
“They will make us suffer, we’ve learned that at this level, we can’t take anything for granted.”
Samuele Ricci and Sebastiano Esposito are unavailable due to injuries, while Pisa striker Lorenzo Lucca is in doubt.
The 21-year-old has scored six goals in seven Serie B appearances and has been linked with a move to Milan.
“He had some physical problems, he trained separately yesterday. It is not easy or competitive because he played only 5-6 matches in Serie B and is not used to the international context,” Nicolato said.
“Emotionally, this is not an easy time for him, as he has attracted so much attention.”