A day of celebration for the two thousand fans at the Lamarmora-Pozzo Stadium in Biella as the Azzurrini triumphed 4-2 over Switzerland, protecting their spot at the top of the table in the 8 Nations Tournament. After the exciting game which saw Italy behind twice, Coach Daniele Franceschini had the following to say: “I’m very pleased with this team, the boys played with the right attitude. It wasn’t easy to remain clear-headed after going behind twice, but every single one of the boys stayed calm and they were all fantastic at turning the game around.”

The game was an uphill battle from the off with a penalty for Switzerland awarded in the very first minute. Marchand made no mistake from the spot, beating Guidotti and putting the Swiss in front. Italy then responded in the 25th minute and it was Portanova at the heart of things once more. The Juventus midfielder, played in by Olivieri, levelled things with a superb chip into the top corner, leaving Keller without a chance. Switzerland came up with an answer of their own, restoring their lead in the 41st minute as Haile-Selassie touched Schüpbach’s cross into the bottom corner.

The second half began with Italy needing a goal, and it didn’t take long for it to arrive. Parity was restored after just three minutes thanks to Juventus defender Gianluca Frabotta’s fantastic finish. This really spurred the Azzurrini into action and they took the lead for the first time in the 52nd minute, Filippo Delli Carri heading home Colpani’s corner to make it 3-2. At the top of the table and now in front in this game, Italy were never going to let up from this point onwards and it was Borrelli who made sure of that, tapping Raspadori’s cross into the net to make it 4-2 and ensuring that the three points were meant for Italy on this occasion.

Fixtures, results and rankings for the 8 Nations Tournament

5 September: Italy 2-0 Poland 2-0
9 September: Czech Republic 0-2 Italy 0-2
10 October: Italy 2-2 England 2-2
15 October: Portugal 3-4 Italy 3-4
18 November: Italy 4-2 Switzerland 4-2
27 March: Germany vs. Italy
31 March: Italy vs. Netherlands

Ranking: Italy 13 points; Germany 9; Portugal, Netherlands and England 5; Czech Republic 4; Poland 3; Switzerland 2.