Italy started their European Under-21 Championship qualifiers with a 5-0 victory over Luxembourg and five different players on target, including Moise Kean.
This was the first competitive match for new Coach Paolo Nicolato, fresh from his impressive work with the Under-20 squad, and he got the qualifying campaign underway with a strong start in Castel di Sangro.
It took just eight minutes for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca to be brought down for a penalty, converted by his Neroverdi teammate Manuel Locatelli.
Italy started their European Under-21 Championship qualifiers with a 5-0 victory over Luxembourg and five different players on target, including Moise Kean.
This was the first competitive match for new Coach Paolo Nicolato, fresh from his impressive work with the Under-20 squad, and he got the qualifying campaign underway with a strong start in Castel di Sangro.
It took just eight minutes for Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca to be brought down for a penalty, converted by his Neroverdi teammate Manuel Locatelli.
Moise Kean was dropped down to the Under-21s from senior level due to indiscipline, along with Nicolò Zaniolo, and did not help his cause when booked for a foul from behind, then protesting so much he risked a second yellow card.
The Everton forward made up for it moments later, tripped by Seid Korac and converting the penalty himself.
It was almost a brace three minutes after that, forcing a save when one-on-one.
Kean had made way for Fiorentina talent Riccardo Sottil at half-time and Zaniolo was also carded for a reaction foul, hauled off soon after.
Substitute Sottil made an immediate impact, squirming between two defenders down the right and drilling his right-foot finish in at the near post.
Marco Tumminello made it 4-0, as he only had to tap in Marco Sala’s cross from the left, then Davide Frattesi won back possession to set up Scamacca’s daisy-cutter.
Italy 5-0 Luxembourg
Locatelli pen 9 (I), Kean pen 37 (I), Sottil 62 (I), Tumminello 68 (I), Scamacca 77 (I)
Italy U21: Plizzari; Del Prato, Marchizza, Bastoni, Sala (Tripaldelli 83); Zaniolo (Frattesi 61), Carraro, Locatelli (Zanellato 76); Kean (Sottil 46), Pinamonti (Tumminello 61), Scamacca
Luxembourg U21: Machado; Brandenburger, Simon, Korac, Held; Schaus (Kuete 88), Dublin, B Muratovic (Curci 88), Tinelli (Avdusinovic 65); Olesen, Prudhomme (D’Anzico 78)