Italy (National Football)

Italy started their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a 2-0 win over Finland on Saturday, as Moise Kean bagged his debut goal for the Azzurri on his first start.

Nicolo Barella opened the scoring early with a deflected effort, but Italy never got comfortable in the first half, as Finland gave them a good game. The hosts improved after the break, however, and Kean doubled the advantage with a strong finish.

His goal made him the second-youngest scorer in Azzurri history:

19 & 23 - Moise #Kean (19 years and 23 days) is the second youngest scorer for Italy after Bruno Nicolè in 1958. Wonderkid.#ItalyFinland #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/UMqxgRRK3c

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 23, 2019

Fabio Quagliarella celebrated his return to the national team setup after an absence of over 3,000 days:

Fabio Quagliarella replaces Ciro Immobile, for his first #Azzurri appearance in 3,048 days!
Liveblog https://t.co/Omc3So10LW #ITAFIN #EURO2020 #Azzurri #Sampdoria

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) March 23, 2019

The Azzurri needed to kick off their campaign in Group J on the right foot, with tricky clashes against Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the horizon.

           

Mancini's Youthful Approach the Way Forward for Azzurri

Italy manager Roberto Mancini has committed himself to rebuilding the Azzurri, and he continued the trend on Saturday by handing two more players their starting debut and relying on youngsters elsewhere.

Barella, Kean―more on him later―and Gianluigi Donnarumma are but three youngsters expected to play a massive role for the team in the near future, while the likes of Nicolo Zaniolo and Federico Chiesa should be locks to start soon enough. The latter likely would have if not for injury:

Federico Chiesa pulled out of training with the Italy squad this afternoon, suffering from a muscular problem, and could be at risk against Finland https://t.co/3V3hdFwDCg #Azzurri #Italy #Fiorentina #ITAFIN pic.twitter.com/wy2SukiGSZ

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) March 19, 2019

On top of those youngsters, Mancini has also relied heavily on older newcomers and fringe players who didn't have a major role with the team in the past. Leonardo Spinazzola, Cristiano Piccini, Vincenzo Grifo and Leonardo Pavoletti are hardly the star names we've come to associate with the Azzurri in recent years.

But those big stars couldn't get the job done, culminating in the Italians missing out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was a dark period in the long history of the Azzurri, and it marked the beginning of a transition to a new generation.

Those up-and-coming players have a ton of talent, and it was no coincidence one of them opened the scoring on Saturday:

That feeling when you score your first senior goal for your country 🇮🇹

Nicolo Barella 🙌 pic.twitter.com/jGUgFgDH0g

— GOAL (@goal) March 23, 2019

Group J is one of the tougher qualifying groups because of its depth, and Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina could give the Azzurri a real scare. But Mancini has to persist with his current approach, knowing full well the old guard might win him some matches but is no longer capable of competing with the top teams on the continent.

The youngsters might be able to in a few years, and giving them the chance to develop now could yield major dividends down the line.

          

Moise Kean Will Be a Superstar

Chiesa, Barella, Zaniolo and Donnarumma all have superstar potential, but the most talented of the group of youngsters is undoubtedly Juventus' top prospect, Kean.

The 19-year-old made history on Saturday, becoming the youngest attacker to start for the Azzurri in over a century:

https://twitter.com/IFTVofficial/status/1109549852340281344

Mancini put his faith in the youngster despite the fact Kean has made just two starts all season, with one coming in Serie A. But even though he played out of position―out wide while Ciro Immobile started centrally―he delivered, and it was poor decision-making around him that stopped him from making a bigger impact in the first half.

Piccini missed from close range after a wonderful dribble and even better pass from Kean, and Federico Bernardeschi completely fluffed his cross while his Juventus team-mate was wide-open for a tap-in.

He kept up his strong play after the break and was finally rewarded with a goal on the counter, producing an excellent finish to give goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky no chance.

Kean has almost limitless potential, combining excellent physical tools and technique with vision and natural finishing ability. If it wasn't for the fact Juventus employ one Cristiano Ronaldo, he likely would be a starter at the club level already,

It's only a matter of time before that changes, and it will be the next step on Kean's road to superstardom. Italy have been crying out for a truly elite striker for years, and the Azzurri have finally found him.

            

What's Next?

Both teams return to the pitch on Tuesday, when Italy host Liechtenstein and Finland visit Armenia.

First things first, let's get the puns out of the way.

Yes, Kevin Lasagna, the Udinese and Italy striker, is a tasty player. Yes, he has put many a shot pasta goalkeeper. Yes, off the pitch, he doesn't mince his words. And yes, on occasion, he will make a meal of a straightforward finish.

Lasagna may be a headline writer's dream, but the 26-year-old is also a player with a remarkable backstory who in the space of only four years has gone from playing amateur football before paltry crowds in Italy's fourth tier to mixing with Italian football royalty in Serie A and wearing the No. 9 shirt for his country.

"He's a player with an atypical profile. If you want a comparison, he's a little bit like Jamie Vardy," says Gilbert Simonutti, a football writer from Udine who writes for the Calciomio website.

Lasagna was brought up in San Benedetto Po, a small town in Lombardy about 140 kilometres southeast of Milan. (The story goes that he was named after Hollywood actor Kevin Costner and that his sister, Sharon, owes her name to Sharon Stone.)

A boyhood Inter Milan fan, he spent four years on the books at Chievo as a youth player but never made the grade and left the club in 2009. He played for a number of local teams—Suzzara, Governolese, Cerea—and also trained as a surveyor, spending his days working in a studio and visiting construction sites. In the summer of 2013, he took part in a football tournament in Mezzane where one of the prizes was a 160-kilogram pig. He was paid €50 per game (plus petrol money) for taking part. His team missed out on the pig.

The 2013-14 season would be the one that changed Lasagna's life. Playing in Serie D for Padua club Este, he scored 21 goals in 33 appearances and attracted the attention of Cristiano Giuntoli, the bargain-hunting sporting director at Serie B side Carpi.

Carpi paid €75,000 to secure Lasagna's services, and Giuntoli declared: "Kevin Lasagna will one day become the centre-forward of the Italian national team." It was shrewd signings such as Lasagna that would lead to Giuntoli being headhunted by Napoli a year later.

"Between Serie D and Serie B, the quality of the players, and especially the intensity and speed of the play, changes," Lasagna told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "In Serie D, some players train after work. It's another world."

Despite the step up in quality, Lasagna settled quickly and helped Carpi achieve promotion to Serie A for the first time in his first season. He made his top-flight debut at the age of 23 in a 5-2 loss to Sampdoria in August 2015.

Come the following January, he was still waiting for his first Serie A goal when Carpi travelled to title contenders Inter, the club he had supported as a child. In stoppage time, with the visitors trailing 1-0 and down to 10 men following the dismissal of winger Lorenzo Pasciuti, Lasagna raced onto Raffaele Bianco's pass, eased the ball onto his favoured left foot and drilled a low shot past Samir Handanovic into the bottom-right corner.

Lasagna was swamped by the exultant Carpi bench, and when the celebrations had subsided, he could be seen running his hands down his face in apparent disbelief. On the eve of the campaign, he had told La Gazzetta that it was his dream to score against Inter at San Siro. Italian food company Barilla got in on the act by producing a cheeky advert that read: "Our lasagna won't get stuck in your stomach, even if you're an Inter fan."

Nicknamed "KL15" by Carpi's fans in reference to his squad number, Lasagna would score a further four goals that season, including strikes against Roma and Fiorentina, and although Carpi were relegated, his displays did not go unnoticed. When he scored nine goals in his first 21 Serie B outings the following campaign, Udinese made their move, signing him in a €4.5 million deal in January 2017 and loaning him back to Carpi for the rest of the season.

Quick, upright and adept at attacking open spaces, Lasagna is not a conventional centre-forward, yet he proved a handy source of goals in his maiden season at Udinese. After finding the net only twice in his first 11 league outings, he scored in five successive Serie A matches in December 2017, becoming the first Udinese player to achieve such a feat since Antonio Di Natale seven years earlier.

His scoring streak included another goal against Inter at San Siro, this time a close-range opener in a 3-1 victory, and the winner in a 2-1 success at Bologna. He finished the season with 12 Serie A goals and 14 in all competitions, making him the club's top scorer. Lazio's Ciro Immobile and Sampdoria's Fabio Quagliarella were the only Italians in the division to outscore him.

This season, things have not been going quite as well, as a return of two goals from 12 appearances suggests. Lasagna typically played alongside Maxi Lopez in his first campaign at Stadio Friuli, but after the Argentinian left the club in the summer, new coach Julio Velazquez took to using him as a lone striker. With Udinese slipping to 17th place, Velazquez was dismissed last week, to be replaced by former Crotone coach Davide Nicola.

"Lasagna is a forward who serves his team-mates. Unfortunately, he's been playing as a main striker this season, and he's not been at his best," says Sara Puntel, a Udinese fan who grew up a stone's throw from Stadio Friuli. "In my opinion, he's not cut out for playing with his back to goal. He would be better playing where he played before, as a second striker."

For some Udinese supporters, Lasagna's unconventional career trajectory, pacy style and on-pitch tenacity bring to mind Vincenzo Iaquinta, another former amateur player, who played for the club from 2000 to 2007 and won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.

"You could compare him to Iaquinta," says Simonutti. "He's that sort of player. He plays with desire, he fights. He's not a true centre-forward, though. You need him running into space."

After successive summers of major upheaval in the transfer window, Udinese's owners the Pozzo family have made a priority of signing Italian players with whom their supporters can identify and tying them to long-term deals. Lasagna has been appointed vice-captain and signed a new five-year contract last month.

"The supporters are counting on Lasagna at the moment," says Puntel. "He was the symbol of the season ticket campaign, and for the supporters, he represents the new heart of the team."

Lasagna received his first Italy call-up last month as a replacement for the injured Simone Zaza, having never previously been capped even at youth level. He made an immediate impact on his debut. With Italy drawing 0-0 against Poland in Chorzow and at risk of relegation from UEFA Nations League A, Lasagna expertly flicked on a corner for Cristiano Biraghi to slide home a last-gasp winner.

"[Lasagna] is an interesting player," said Italian coaching great Fabio Capello. "I think he can bring something extra to the national team."

Lasagna kept his place in Roberto Mancini's squad for the current international get-together, being preferred to both Mario Balotelli and Andrea Belotti, and made his second Italy appearance in last Saturday's 0-0 draw with Portugal. Mancini has been charged with the weighty responsibility of rebuilding the national team after their failure to qualify for this year's World Cup, and for all the attacking talent at his disposal, he has clearly seen something he likes in Lasagna.

Amateur footballer, trainee surveyor, scourge of Inter, inspirer of pasta adverts, successor to Di Natale, Italy international. Kevin Lasagna is truly a man of many layers.

Portugal qualified for the finals of the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League on Saturday with a scoreless draw against Italy at the San Siro stadium.

The hosts dominated the first half but missed several chances to take the lead, with Ciro Immobile twice failing to beat Rui Patricio. Portugal improved after the break, but there would be no goals.

The European champions came into Saturday's match needing just one point from either this contest or the fixture against Poland to win League A Group 3.

                   

Time for Mancini to Drop Immobile

The Azzurri have undergone a transformation under manager Roberto Mancini, who has the team playing much better football and the fans believing in a bright future, even if the results haven't always gone their way.

The former Manchester City boss has introduced several youngsters into the squad and given full confidence to players such as Lorenzo Insigne and Jorginho, who were too often overlooked in the past.

The one area he hasn't been able to figure out yet has been the striker position, however. On paper, Ciro Immobile is Italy's best option because of his strong performances in Serie A, but that hasn't translated to the national team:

Ciro Immobile has seven goals in 33 senior Italy caps, but fired blanks in his last eight appearances, last finding the net in a 1-0 World Cup qualifier against Israel in September 2017.
Liveblog https://t.co/FDmj0iP0pl #ITAPOR #UNL #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/aKhAt8Yzfe

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) November 17, 2018

Sportswriter Vince Van Genechten noted he once again struggled against the Portuguese and thought Italy might have been a World Cup team had he played up to his talent in the past:

https://twitter.com/VVGenechten/status/1063890160079769600

Immobile lacks the confidence to overturn his national team struggles at this point, and Mancini has to learn from his issues. With plenty of time until Euro 2020, it's time to give more opportunities to Mario Balotelli or Andrea Belotti or see whether Kevin Lasagna can continue his remarkable rise with some starring performances for the Azzurri.

The future looks bright, with Moise Kean again impressing for the under-21 team in the loss against England. That performance saw him called up to the senior side for the friendly against the USA. 

The Juventus man is likely to go out on loan in January, per Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Football Italia), and he might take the leap in the near future with more regular minutes.

Pietro Pellegri is another youngster with immense potential, and both he and Kean should get their chances in 2019 or 2020 if their playing time at club level increases.

       

What's Next?

Portugal will face Poland on Tuesday in the last match of Group 3. Italy will play the United States in Belgium in a friendly on the same day.

Italy grabbed their first win of the UEFA Nations League on Sunday, beating Poland 1-0 thanks to a late goal from full-back Cristiano Biraghi.  

The Azzurri dominated large stretches of the match and had numerous chances to open the scoring, but woeful finishing and a great outing from Wojciech Szczesny kept them from scoring until Biraghi struck.

Poland become the first team to be relegated from the Nations League A as a result:

When you become the first team to get relegated in the UEFA Nations League 👇 pic.twitter.com/cjc3rv7exR

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 14, 2018

Italy were held to a draw by the Poles in their first meeting and lost to group leaders Portugal. They hadn't won a match since the 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia in May.

   

Barella Is Ready for Big Move

Italy played their best match in months on Sunday, and the main reason for that was the dominance of the midfield triangle of Jorginho, Marco Verratti and Nicolo Barella. The three aggressively won back the ball from the start and completely shut down the hosts, drawing praise along the way:

https://twitter.com/ItalianFD/status/1051554052436299776

The 21-year-old Barella more than held his own playing alongside stars from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, a welcome sight for the Cagliari man given what's likely at stake. He's been linked with a transfer move to one of the Serie A giants, and La NuovaSardegna (h/t Football Italia) believe Liverpool are also in the mix.

Barella did well in the draw against Ukraine, but Poland represented a step up in competition. The youngster passed this test with flying colours. A January move seems ever more likely, and based on what he has shown for the Azzurri, there's no reason to think the budding star isn't ready.

A trio of him, Verratti and Jorginho―with Lorenzo Pellegrini also in the mix―should set the Italians up for years to come, and Barella just might be the most talented player of the bunch.

   

Mancini Has to Go Back to Immobile

For all of Italy's dominance on Sunday, a lack of efficiency in front of goal once again plagued the side. Federico Chiesa and Jorginho both hit the woodwork, while Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne had huge chances to break the deadlock but couldn't get it done.

The three-man attack of Insigne, Bernardeschi and Chiesa created all kinds of trouble with its mobility, but the lack of an ace striker was evident once the ball was worked into the danger areas. Insigne has never been a great scorer for the national team, and both Chiesa and Bernardeschi are still working on that element of their game.

Meanwhile, Ciro Immobile once again started on the bench, despite his track record of scoring in recent Serie A seasons.

As shared by Football Italia, it hasn't translated to the Azzurri of late, and that's likely why Roberto Mancini went with Insigne:

Ciro Immobile has fired blanks in his last eight #Italy appearances, not scoring since September 2017 https://t.co/Owu5k1JBGf #Azzurri #POLITA #UNL #Lazio pic.twitter.com/b1PTxJ1LTq

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) October 13, 2018

It makes sense to shake things up, but Italy were effectively without a spearhead for much of Sunday's contest. Their many crosses were wasted because there was no one there to control the box.

Immobile or Andrea Belotti has to start in the future alongside Chiesa and Bernardeschi, with Insigne functioning as a super-sub to bring off the bench. A bigger striker gives the wingers and full-backs something to aim their crosses at, and with a bit of confidence, both are likely to find their scoring touch again soon.

                 

Szczesny Is Starting to Enter Elite Territory

Juventus goalkeeper Szczesny has quietly enjoyed another excellent start to the season playing behind the duo of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, and on Sunday, he faced his Bianconeri team-mates and didn't budge.

The former Arsenal man has been consistently excellent since moving to AS Roma, where he kept Alisson Becker clustered to the bench. The Liverpool stopper is now considered among the world's best but could barely get a look in while Szczesny did his thing.

There was nothing he could do about Biraghi's late goal, and it shouldn't be held against the 28-year-old, who has played at this high level long enough to be considered among the elite options at the position.

    

What's Next?

Poland host the Czech Republic in a friendly on November 15. Italy will host Portugal in the Nations League two days later.

Italy host Ukraine in an international friendly on Wednesday, as the sides prepare ahead of their 2018-19 UEFA Nations League commitments.

The match takes place at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, one of the country's oldest stadiums, and home to both Sampdoria and Genoa.

The Ukrainians arrive in strong form, with four wins and two draws in their last six, including recent victories over the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The hosts are recovering after a 1-0 Nations League defeat to Portugal and a 3-1 friendly loss to 2018 FIFA World Cup winners France.

                

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 10

Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST), 2:45 p.m. (ET)

Odds: Italy win: 18-25, Ukraine win: 9-2, Draw: 23-10

TV: Sky Sports (UK), Univision Deportes (U.S.)

Stream: Sky Go (UK), ESPN+ (U.S)

Odds according to OddsShark.

             

Preview

The bookies favour Italy in their clash with Ukraine, but recent form does not reflect their position as expected winners.

New Italy manager Roberto Mancini has accumulated plenty of top-level experience as a player and coach, but he faces a difficult task to restore one of the game's great football nations to their former glories.

Ukraine have only conceded three goals in their last four, while replying with six at the other end of the pitch.

Sebastian Giovinco has been recalled to the Italian squad for the first time in three years, with the 31-year-old preferred to Mario Balotelli.

The former Juventus striker has been prolific during his spell with Toronto FC in the MLS, and his consistency has been rewarded.

However, the player's inclusion highlights the issues faced by the modern-day Italy team. The top European nations tend to ignore players in the United States league due to the assertion the standard is inferior.

Mancini could have picked Torino's Andrea Belotti, but the 24-year old—once rated as one of the continent's top prospects—has struggled with form in recent times.

Gianluca Caprari could make his debut, after the Sampdoria player earned his first call up.

The forward has two goals in four Serie A games this term and could be granted the opportunity to impress.

Italy confirmed on Twitter late adjustments to their squad on Monday:

#Azzurri 🇮🇹#DAmbrosio, #Romagnoli and #Cutrone have all had to leave the camp. Lorenzo #Tonelli (@sampdoria_en) and Cristiano #Piccini (@valenciacf_en) have been called up as replacements. #Azzurri #ItalyUkraine #PolandItaly #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/3fQjaUJ02p

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) October 8, 2018

The home side are desperate for a victory in their upcoming games, with a trip to Poland to follow for the Italians.

Ukraine were excellent during their recent match away to Albania, scoring four times, and they will fancy their chances against an opponent searching for confidence.

Mancini faces the biggest challenge of his career, and the chips are not stacked in his favour ahead of this game.

Italy came from behind to secure a 1-1 draw with Poland in both teams' opening match of the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League in Bologna on Friday.

Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski volleyed home the opener for Poland from a cross by Robert Lewandowski five minutes before half-time.

Italy levelled with a little over 10 minutes of normal time remaining, as Jakub Blaszczykowski slid in on substitute Federico Chiesa and conceded a penalty.

Jorginho sent goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski the wrong way with his spot-kick to salvage a point in Roberto Mancini's first competitive game in charge of the Azzurri.

    

Italy Lacking in Attack as Balotelli Struggles on Return

Mancini recalled Mario Balotelli to the national team, and the striker made his first appearance for Italy since 2014.

However, it was not a happy return for the 28-year-old who struggled against Poland. The striker was starved of service and lacked composure when he did receive the ball in dangerous areas.

Opta noted how peripheral he was in the first half:

10 - Mario #Balotelli made only 10 touches in the first half vs Poland, no Azzurri's player made less touches in the first 45 minutes of play. Missing. #ItalyPoland pic.twitter.com/Q2rtdRNBUt

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) September 7, 2018

Balotelli became increasingly frustrated as the game wore on, and it was little surprise when he was substituted on the hour mark for Andrea Belotti.

The Torino striker also made little impression. While Italy had the better of the second half they struggled to create goalscoring chances.

Goal's Carlo Garganese offered his view:

https://twitter.com/carlogarganese/status/1038149611540697088

Substitute Chiesa had the biggest impact of all of Italy's attackers. The 20-year-old looked lively in his brief cameo and was too quick for Blaszczykowski who conceded the penalty.

           

Zielinski Outshines Jorginho In Midfield

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho started the game, but it was his former Napoli team-mate Zielinski who really impressed in Bologna.

Previous manager Gian Piero Ventura was criticised for his failure to make Jorginho a key part of his side as the Azzurri failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

However, the 26-year-old was badly at fault for Poland's goal. The midfielder lost the ball twice in the build-up and could only watch as Lewandowski crossed for Zielinski to hammer a shot past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Football writer David Amoyal shared his view:

Zielinski has become such a complete midfielder, wouldn’t surprise me if we talk of him as one of the very best at his position in all of @SerieA by season’s end

— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) September 7, 2018

Zielinski looked the most dangerous player in the first half, as Poland took the lead and looked threatening on the attack.

In contrast, Jorginho was struggling to have any influence on the match at all. Garganese offered an explanation:

https://twitter.com/carlogarganese/status/1038148378415251456

Jorginho did manage to make amends, as he grabbed the equaliser from the penalty spot. However, Italy need to find the right mix in midfield to enable them to get the best out of the Chelsea man.

         

Mancini Has His Work Cut Out To Restore Italy To Former Glory

Friday's defeat was Mancini's first competitive game in charge and showed he has his work cut out to restore them to their former glory.

Poland came into the game off a disappointing World Cup. They failed to make it out of the group after defeats to Senegal and Colombia, and star striker Robert Lewandowski failed to score in the three matches.

However, for the majority of the match they were largely comfortable and managed to hold Italy at bay. They will view this game as an opportunity wasted to take all three points after inviting Italy back into the game in the second half.

Poland seemed happy to sit back and were penalised when Blaszczykowski conceded a penalty and the hosts rescued a point.

ESPN Janusz Michallik said they will be happy with the result:

Good result for Poland under their new manager. Little too pragmatic for me, but played to their strengths. Italy million miles away from being Italy.

— Janusz Michallik (@JanuszMichallik) September 7, 2018

As for Italy, the lack of quality in the team is evident. There are issues in defence, as the team have now conceded at least one goal in their last six games, per Opta.

Going forwards the lack of invention and cutting edge was obvious to see. It was a disappointing start to Mancini's tenure, and there were few positives for Italy from this performance.

      

What's Next?

Italy play their second Nations League match on Monday in Portugal at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. Poland are in action a day later, as they host Republic of Ireland in an international friendly.

Roberto Mancini's Italy side get their inaugural UEFA Nations League campaign under way with a clash against Poland in Bologna on Friday.

The Azzurri have work to do to reestablish their standing in the European game after missing out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Poland will also be looking for a decent performance after disappointing in Russia, finishing bottom of Group H despite being a seeded side.            

                    

Date: Friday, September 7

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST, 2:45 p.m. ET

TV Info: Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Football (UK), ESPN2 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go, ESPN Player

Odds (via OddsShark.com): Italy (-138; bet $138 to win $100), Poland (+375), Draw (+260)

               

Mancini has overseen three Italy games since filling the vacant manager's role back in May.

He started with a 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia, but his side then fell to a 3-1 defeat to France before drawing 1-1 with the Netherlands, another European superpower who failed to make the World Cup.

The former Manchester City and Inter Milan boss has brought in a number of new players for Italy's clashes with Poland and Portugal, including 17-year-old Monaco striker Pietro Pellegri and 19-year-old Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo:

#Italy 🇮🇹

Roberto #Mancini's #Azzurri squad for the Nations League fixtures against #Poland 🇵🇱 and #Portugal 🇵🇹#VivoAzzurro #ItalyPoland #ItalyPortugal #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/DE6ufJnBfx

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 1, 2018

One of the many criticisms aimed at Mancini's predecessor, Gian Piero Ventura, during Italy's failed qualification campaign was that he did not use Jorginho as a key part of his side.

The new Chelsea midfielder has started all three of Mancini's games in charge so far and should be key against Russia after showing fine form in his early days at Stamford Bridge:

Jorginho out here outpassing entire teams on his own 🔑 pic.twitter.com/KYAycbqG6N

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 26, 2018

Poland were disappointing at the World Cup, knocked out after defeats in their opening two group-stage games to Senegal and Colombia.

They managed to beat Japan in their final match, but manager Adam Nawalka still vacated his post in the aftermath.

Jerzy Brzeczek has stepped into the role and will be taking charge of his first match against Italy.

Arguably Poland's biggest problem at the World Cup was their inability to provide decent service for their attack, particularly striker Robert Lewandowski.

If they again fail to consistently get the Bayern Munich man on the ball on Friday they will struggle and likely fall to another defeat. 

Mario Balotelli returned for Italy's national team on Monday and scored in an international friendly against Saudi Arabia, helping the Azzurri to a 2-1 win. 

Super Mario opened the scoring in the first half, and his replacement Andrea Belotti added to the lead after the break. A defensive error and blunder from Gianluigi Donnarumma gifted Yahya Al Shehri a goal, but Italy held on for the win.

Here are the key talking points from Monday's friendly.

   

Balotelli's Return was Long Overdue

If Monday's outing was anything to go by, Italy may well have been headed for the World Cup this summer if Balotelli had been in the squad last year.

The Nice forward―who will soon become a free agent and will likely have a ton of clubs after him―was active and involved from the start, standing out for his passing and ability to hold up play.

More importantly, he made something out of nothing for the opening goal, the kind of individual effort Italy sorely needed in the play-offs against Sweden. Italian Football TV loved it:

https://twitter.com/IFTVofficial/status/1001179998844223488

For all of his controversy and problems at the club level, Balotelli has always been a productive member of the national team when given the chance. With the Azzurri, he was usually surrounded by veterans like Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini, and it always had a positive effect on him.

Despite all of that, Balotelli hadn't been called up in four years.

Given his form with Nice for the last two years, perhaps Italy should have recalled him a lot sooner.

    

Mancini Can't Fix all of Italy's Problems

New Italy manager Roberto Mancini earned many plaudits with his first team selection, opting for several youngsters and bringing back Balotelli. The product on the pitch on Monday was similar to what fans have gotten used to in the last two years, however, as the Azzurri were bland, uninspired and lacked creativity.

Mancini hasn't been around long enough to fix all of the team's issues, but the lack of creativity is down to the players available, not the coach. There's good news for Italy, however, as talented youngsters like Federico Chiesa and Rolando Mandragora have the potential to fix that problem if they continue their development.

      

Donnarumma's Blunders are Becoming an Issue

Yes, Davide Zappacosta's terrible decision to dwindle on the ball gifted the Saudi's the attack that led to their goal. And yes, Donnarumma is still just 19 years old, and younger goalkeepers have to battle through their fair share of mistakes. But Donnarumma's issues of late have become a major problem, both on the club and international level.

Earlier this month, there were the two poor interventions in the Coppa Italia final that decided the contest in Juventus favour. Those two errors prompted these quotes from Mancini, hours before his latest blunder on Monday:

#Azzurri Coach Roberto Mancini assures Gianluigi Donnarumma "is young and will make mistakes" https://t.co/6cZL9RCKqM #Italy #VivoAzzurro #ACMilan pic.twitter.com/usrZum6sD3

— Football Italia (@footballitalia) May 28, 2018

Donnarumma has everything a top goalkeeper could ask for as far as his physical gifts go, but these errors are of the mental kind, and that can doom a career. He needs to clean things up quickly, or Mancini might be forced to turn to one of Italy's other top prospects at the position, like Mattia Perin, Alex Meret or even team-mate Alessandro Plizzari, who at the age of 18 might soon become a wanted man on the transfer market himself. 

   

Anyone Can Qualify From Group A

Saudi Arabia aren't a bad team, but against an Italian side that's trying to find an identity, getting used to a new manager and is devoid of the world-class talent of the last decade, they did far too little to stand out.

Their relative lack of quality, coupled with Mohamed Salah's injury concerns and Russia's homefield advantage, means Group A will be wide open this summer, with Uruguay favourites to win it.

Egypt remain the favourites for second place, especially if Salah is fit in time for the tournament, but there's no reason why Russia and Saudi Arabia shouldn't like their chances.

   

What's Next?

Italy visit France on Friday, while Saudi Arabia play Peru on Sunday.

The Roberto Mancini era will start for Italy on Monday, when he takes charge of his first match as manager in an international friendly against Saudi Arabia.

The two teams will meet on neutral ground, as the game will be played at FC St. Gallen's kybunpark stadium in Switzerland.

Kick-off will be at 7:45 p.m. BST (2:45 p.m. ET), and ESPN will provide live-stream options via ESPN 3.

             

Bold Squad Selection From Mancini

The Mancini appointment wasn't universally applauded among Italian fans, but the former Manchester City and Inter Milan boss won himself a lot of fans with his first squad selection.

He has called up a number of talented youngsters, including Fiorentina's Federico Chiesa and Juventus' Rolando Mandragora, who is coming off a breakout campaign on loan at Crotone.

The Sassuolo duo of Domenico Berardi and Matteo Politano are also in the squad and on course to earn their first caps, but all those call-ups were overshadowed by that of controversial forward Mario Balotelli.

Formerly of Liverpool, Manchester City, Inter and AC Milan, Balotelli has rebuilt his career and reputation with OGC Nice, scoring plenty of goals for the Ligue 1 outfit:

🇮🇹 Mario Balotelli this season...

- Games: 37

- Goals: 26

After 4 years away, Super Mario is back in the Italy squad! pic.twitter.com/Hc7MT1SkPh

— The Sportsman (@TheSportsman) May 19, 2018

As reported by David Hills of the Guardian, Balotelli and Mancini were involved in a training-ground confrontation that almost turned physical during their City days―it's a remarkable step for the manager to be the one to bring him back into the national team.

Given the relative weakness of their upcoming opponents, all of those youngsters and Balotelli should like their chances of seeing some real playing time.

            

Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal Power Saudi Selection

Only three members of the Saudi Arabia squad play their football outside of their nation, and Yahya Al-Shehri, Fahad Al-Muwallad and Salem Al-Dawsari only moved to Spain in January as part of a giant loan deal.

On paper, the Saudi team is not a strong one, with a large portion of the squad coming from two clubs: Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal. The pair dominated the domestic league this year, finishing ahead of the pack by double digits.

Italy should provide the Green Falcons with a great first test ahead of the FIFA World Cup, a tournament they did qualify for, unlike the Azzurri. Saudi Arabia suffered a 4-0 defeat against Belgium in March but bounced back with wins over Algeria and Greece in May.

Roberto Mancini has been named as manager of the Italy national team after agreeing to his exit from Russian powerhouse Zenit St Petersburg.

The Azzurri's official Twitter account confirmed the former Manchester City and Inter Milan boss would replace Gian Piero Ventura, who was sacked from the role after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in November:

Roberto #Mancini has signed as the new #Italy Coach! 🖊🇮🇹

The @FIGC has reached an agreement with Mancini to start in the role and there will be an official presentation tomorrow at 12:00 CEST in #Coverciano.#VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/xp9v22Vx5A

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) May 14, 2018

BBC Sport reported Mancini has agreed to a two-year deal to manage Italy, which will keep him in charge of the team until after the 2020 European Championship.

Luigi di Biagio made the move up from Italy's under-21s to coach the senior side in a caretaker role, serving for six months before the Italian Football Federation could reach an agreement on a permanent replacement.

Italian football expert Fabrizio Romano reported on Mancini's appointment prior to it being made official and added he'd be foregoing a considerable Zenit fee in order to take the role:

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/995082524736081920

Mancini will take his first steps as an international manager with his native country and arrives at the Italy helm 24 years after making the last of his 36 playing appearances for the Azzurri.

However, football writer Adam Digby couldn't help but warn of the limitations he feels Mancini has as a tactician:

Short term it might work to improve from the disaster that was Ventura... however we all know Mancini has a very firm ceiling over a longer period of time

— Adam Digby (@Adz77) May 14, 2018

The 53-year-old has won major trophies with every club he's managed except for Zenit and leaves St Petersburg after leading them to fifth in the Russian Premier League this season.

However, admirers will remember more fondly his 2012 Premier League triumph with Manchester City—at the time their first top-flight title in 44 years—as well as winning three Serie A crowns with Inter between 2006 and 2008.

The disappointment of missing out on a place at this summer's World Cup left a mark on one of the world's most celebrated international sides, and Mancini now faces a repair job in restoring the nation to its former glory.

Mancini will manage the 2006 world champions for the first time on Monday, May 28, when they face Saudi Arabia in a friendly meeting before they prepare for the UEFA Nations League to get underway in September.