Recap: Ninety minutes of comprehensive football allowed Italy to show their strength in Bari on Thursday, capturing a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands.
A blistering start saw Ciro Immobile open the affair just three minutes in, undressing goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen in the process. Six minutes and one Bruno Martins red card later, Italy doubled the advantage. A confident penalty from Daniele De Rossi proved to be insurmountable. Down two goals and a man, the Netherlands had little to offer from there.
The victory allowed Antonio Conte to celebrate a victory in his coaching debut for Italy.
Key Moment: Though it’s a friendly, the basic rules of football still apply. When you’re the last man in defense, you cannot deny a clear goalscoring opportunity. That’s exactly what Bruno Martins was guilty of after shoving Simone Zaza down inside the area. His infraction ultimately decided the contest.
Man of the Match: Leonardo Bonucci was an anchor in defense for Italy. Not only did the 27-year-old finish with two clearances and a 92 percent passing accuracy, but it was his long-ball assist that allowed Immobile to score.
Lesson Learned: Excitement is abound in Italy. Nearly 50,000 spectators were on hand in Bari to witness and usher in a new era in Italian football. Expect that excitement to increase following today’s result. Conte has proven he can win at the club level of Italian football. He’s well on his way to proving it can be done internationally.
Up Next: The Netherlands travel to the Czech Republic for a 2016 European qualifier on Sept. 9, while Italy visits Norway on the same date.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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