An exciting performance saw Italy beat Moldova by six goals to nil. The Azzurri’s unbeaten run now stretches to 18 (14 wins and three draws) and they have obtained an important victory, especially as far as the FIFA Ranking is concerned. The top ten European national teams will be seeded for the draw for qualifying to Qatar 2022. Ahead of Nations League fixtures against Poland and the Netherlands, Italy started with a new-look side but didn’t sacrifice their identity or style of football. It was an evening of firsts: Ciccio Caputo scored on his debut, Cristante and Berardi scored their first goals for the National Team, and El Shaawary bagged his first Italy brace as he wore the captain’s armband for the first time.

THE GAME. Ever since it was announced that Italy would play three times in week, Mancini knew there would be chances handed out to some different players. And so it was that Caputo started for his debut, the spearhead of an attacking trio with Berardi and El Shaarawy. Sirigu started in goal with Mancini and Acerbi in the centre of defence and Lazzari and Biraghi either side of them. Cristante, Bonaventura and Locatelli made up a new-look midfield, the latter making just his second appearance for his country after a debut against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.

Moldova started the day is the 175th-ranked national team in the world and had lost all four of their previous games against Italy. The Azzurri, who were sporting black armbands in honour of former National Team doctor Fino Fini, started well. Yet surprisingly, the first chance fell to Moldova as Nicolaescu was denied by Sirigu (7’). It didn’t take too long for Italy to react though; El Shaarawy tried to chip Koselev, who did well to turn it behind for a corner. It was from that very same corner kick that Italy took the lead, Cristante nodding in Bonaventura’s cross to score his first Italy goal (18’). Five minutes later, Italy had their second. Biraghi fed Ciccio Caputo in the box and the striker made no mistakes as he went one on one with the goalkeeper, stroking home to double Italy’s lead. The Azzurri kept up the pressure and it wasn’t long before they had their third; El Shaawary it was, who beat Koselev from a near impossible angle. Lazzari, who returned to the Italy set-up two years since his last game in Portugal, we devastating down the right flank and he had a hand in the fourth, which Posmac put into his own net (37’). Lazzari assisted Italy’s fifth too, finding El Shaawary with a beautiful cross in the stroke of half time; the captain on the night just had to head it into an empy net. It was all too easy.

The second half was more of a formality than anything else. Bonaventura, who had a wonderful game, was denied after he showed great skill to beat the defence in the box. Then, Mancini sent on Sensi, Emerson, Grifo and another debutant Cragno. Kean and Lasagne also came late on. Domenico Berardi get his first Italy goal in the 71st minute, getting on the end of an inch-perfect Grifo cross. 6-0.

From tomorrow, thoughts turn to the Nations League and clashes with Poland and the Netherlands. Lorenzo Pellegrini - who has recovered from a nose injury, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini will all be available for the game. The latter pair arrived at the training camp after having received authorisation from health authorities.

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Schedule

Thursday 8 October

16:30 CEST – Training (behind closed doors)** at Coverciano

Friday 9 October

10:30 CEST – Training (behind closed doors)** at Coverciano

13:30 CEST – Media duties (player) in the auditorium at Coverciano

17:30 CEST – Travel from Florence to Venice

Saturday 10 October

10:45 CEST – Travel from Venice to Gdansk

11:00 CEST – POLAND training (open for the first 15 mins) at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

13:15 CEST – POLAND press conference at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

17:30 – ITALY press conference at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

18:00 CEST – ITALY training (open for the first 15 mins) at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

Sunday 11 October

20:45 CEST – POLAND VS. ITALY (UNL matchday 3) at the Energa Arena in Gdansk

Press conference following the game

Monday 12 October

11:00 CEST – Training (behind closed doors) in Gdansk

17:45 CEST – Travel from Gdansk to Bergamo

Tuesday 13 October

16:30 CEST – NETHERLANDS press conference*** at the Stadio di Bergamo

17:00 CEST – NETHERLANDS training (open for the first 15 mins) at the Stadio di Bergamo

17:30 CEST – ITALY press conference*** at the Stadio di Bergamo

18:00 CEST – ITALY TRAINING (open for the first 15 mins) at the Stadio di Bergamo

Wednesday 14 October

20:45 CEST – ITALY V NETHERLANDS (UNL matchday 4) at the Stadio di Bergamo

Press conference following the game

* images from the event will distributed by the FIGC after it has finished

** 15 minutes of images will be produced and distributed by the FIGC

*** access to the press room will be limited to a reduced number of media members, feeds are available on screens at the stadium.