A time of fear at the disadvantage then the Azzurrini overturn Montenegro. The cycle of the new Under 21 coach begins with a suffering victory
The new CT is close to emotion when Mameli’s anthem sounds but the emotion does not last long, very little. One hundred and eight seconds to be precise: so few have passed when Idissi from the left is wrong the central hallway for Lipani, effectively serving an assist to Kostic – 2007 of Partizan – who crosses with the right. Montenegro immediately ahead, the new two years begins well. Italy is placed 4-3-3, with Fini and Koleosho on the exterior and Raimondo center forward (Pafundi on the bench), and takes good ten minutes to recover, then takes possession of the opponent’s half. But without finding outlets. Indeed, it is Montenegro, on the few occasions when the field overturns, to touch the goal: at 17 ‘Djukanovic kicks powerful from outside and mascardi, home goalkeeper (plays in La Spezia), raises in the corner, and from the corner Knezevic hears head and idris saves on the line the possible doubling, redeeming himself in part of the error on the first goal. To half an hour another conclusion from outside, of Miravic: Basm Diagonal slightly to the side. The Azzurrini live mainly on Koleosho’s initiatives on the left, but the Espanyol wing finds little collaboration on that side from Ndour, always inaccurate to finishing. On the right, they often combine gym and fine, but also in this case there is no quality in the last passage or in the cross. Italy collects corner kicks, 6 in the first half, but in fact zero shots on goal. To write down only a weak header of clearing that does not even arrive on goal and a low cross from the gym bottom that goalkeeper Domazetovic rejects. The interval serves Baldini to reiterate the concepts preached in the first days of school: verticality, depth, aggression. And it is immediately another Italy. At 7 ‘it is already 1-1. Fini aims to the right and then supports Lipani who from the first system to the intersection with the right. The Azzurrini insist by playing vertically: at 9 ‘Pisilli Scugchia for Raimondo who crosses high, a minute later protagonists and the center forward concludes centrally. It looks like awakening, also because Montenegro, whose technical level is modest, does nothing but shoot balls forward in an attempt to lighten. But he makes a wall behind with his beasts, and ours return to banging on us. Baldini puts Pafundi in place of Fini on the right and Moruzzi for Idrissi on the left, the game gets angular and the effort begins to cloud ideas. Italy, however, insists, pushes and exploits an error by Perovic, who stops Pafundi in the area but gets cluster to Raimondo and he breaks it down. On the spot it goes Koleosho who displaces Domazetovic with personality: 33 ‘of the second half, Italy is ahead. Relief. Ekhator, Dagasso and Cherubini also debuts, Montenegro tries to react but does not have the means to hurt: from Miravic’s diagonal in the first half he no longer kicked. The first went.