0-1: Italy, the big absentee in the World Cup, wins with its young people

The Italian team won this Wednesday with a team full of young debutants to Luxembourg (0-1) on their return to the field after being left out of a World Cup for the third consecutive time, although they were Pio Esposito and Niccolò Pisilli, with experience in the ‘azzurra’, who made the victory possible.

It was the first time that Italyfour-time world champion, stepped onto the grass after the hard blow of being left out of a World Cup again. He did it without many of his most recognized figures and betting on a new generation of young talents that can represent the first stone for the profound renewal that an ‘azzurra’ in crisis needs more than ever.

At the head of the bench, after the resignation of Gennaro Gattuso, stood Silvio Baldiniwho took over for the two friendlies this month after being the U-21 coach. He bet on his pupils: Luca Koleosho, Davide Barteshagi, Luca Lipani… New names, and everyone, except the captain, Gianluigi Donnarummaborn after 2000.

Nineteen of the twenty-four players made their senior debut in a call-up, and the average age of the team for these friendlies is 20 years and six months. The youngest in history in an absolute, as revealed this week by the transalpine press. Some of the players They haven’t even debuted in Serie A yet..

The Italian assembly took a while to carbure. In the first half there was a lack of conviction and daring, and there was plenty of caution. The excessive play in the midfield and some isolated arrivals, with hardly any danger, reflected a gray meeting between two teams that will not be in the next World, the great event of international football.

Was Pio Esposito who pulled the car to open the scoring. One of the few footballers who has already worn the shirt of the absolute team signed the 0-1 with a header after a corner measured by Niccolò Pisillianother with experience, although little, in the ‘azzurra’. Both contributed skill to unclog the scoreboard against a Luxembourg that barely offered resistance or options beyond specific moments.

The game opened up a little more after the goal of Italybut the general tone hardly changed. There were chances in both areas, especially for the ‘azzurra’, although without effectiveness. It was a flat meeting, of little intensity and in which the group of Baldini He controlled without much trouble, although without play.

Italy he won timidly, without making noise, but advancing step by step and trying to establish a foundation. He did it with a young team and with a country that, in addition, had much of its attention focused on the quarterfinals of Roland Garroswhere the Italian tennis players Matteo Berrettini and Matteo Arnaldi They starred in a derby in a sport in which Italy, unlike ‘calcio’, is going through its sweetest moment.