New coach Carmine Nunziata picked up a goalless draw away to Latvia on his debut for the Under-21 Italy side, with Cesare Casadei and Gaetano Oristanio failing to take their chances.
The Azzurrini are in a group with Norway, the Republic of Ireland, Turkey, San Marino and Latvia.
Casadei had a huge chance early on, but caught the corner with his knee and prodded it over the bar from close range, while Edoardo Bove blasted over after a crucial block on Marco Nasti from six yards.
The goalkeeper rushed out to deny Gaetano Oristanio’s dinked finish one-on-one after a Fabio Miretti pass sent him clear on goal.
The pair combined again, Miretti only glancing his head to an Oristanio cross from the left, while Bove’s snapshot flashed just wide.
Latvia went very close with their first real opportunity on the hour mark, a Vapne free kick that clipped the outside of the upright.
Lorenzo Colombo nodded Zanotti’s cross onto the side-netting when he should’ve left it for Bove in a better position behind him.
Francesco Pio Esposito also came off the bench and couldn’t keep a free header on target from a corner, then Casadei nodded over from six yards.
Deep into stoppages, Janis Beks stuck out a foot to parry the low drive from PSG talent Cher N’Dour.
Latvia 0-0 Italy
Latvia U21: Beks; Novikovs, Kudelkins, Sliede, Maslovs; Vientiess, Melniks; Kauselis (Anmanis 82), Vapne (Melnis 71), Rascevskis (Melkis 71); Lizunovs (Puzirevskis 85)
Italy U21: Desplanches; Zanotti, Ghilardi, Pirola, Ruggeri; Bove, Prati, Casadei, Miretti (N’Dour 60); Oristanio (Colombo 53), Nasti (P Esposito 53)
we cannot win against latvia this should have 3 points i have more faith in our youth team than the senior team not the greatest quality but better hop for the best
Probably why Mancini left. He could see less and less real quality to choose from.