From the United States to Germany, from Fort Lauderdale to Dortmund, where on 15 June the National Team will begin their journey in the European Championships. With less than three months until the start of the tournament, in the first of the two American friendlies, Luciano Spalletti tried out a new formation, 3-4-2-1, testing a three-man defence that is common in Serie A. It is a setup that several Azzurri defenders find themselves every week with their clubs and which may represent an alternative to the 4-3-3 used in the qualifiers and in the last twenty minutes of the game: "We did some things well," - analysed the coach - "for long stretches, we controlled the game as we should have. I am pleased with the performance. Then, when mistakes like those made on the penalty and their goal are committed, it's pointless to talk about systems. The boys played well both with a three-man defence and in the 4-3-3."

Despite being only 52nd in the FIFA Ranking, Venezuela confirmed the qualities that led them to fourth position in the South American World Cup 2026 qualification group: "It was a difficult match for many reasons," emphasised Spalletti, "due to the journey and very tough opposition. They had lost just one match in the last ten, and hadn't conceded a goal in five games; we scored two goals by creating some interesting situations. We made some careless mistakes and what the game showed us is that from a physical point of view, you have to be at your best. We saw how they ran and we lost several duels."

One who made the most of the Miami showcase was Mateo Retegui, who confirmed that he could be the striker that the National Team desperately needs. And he convinced beyond his two goals: "He did well in holding up the ball, defensively with headers, and in his finishing," confirmed Spalletti. "He played a splendid game, he's a certainty in the penalty area."

The Genoa striker, who has four goals in five appearances for the National Team, has earned several points in the race for a starting berth at the European Championships: "I'm very happy, we played a tough game and we won. I have to keep my feet on the ground, keep working, and help the team when I play. Now, we rest a bit as we have another game on Sunday."

Among one of the standouts of the game was Gianluigi Donnarumma, who, on his sixth attempt, saved his first penalty in the National Team during regular time: "I didn't know, I found out now. We're happy with what we're doing, there are a few things to fix but we have time. These matches are needed to get to know each other and to create a great group for June." Venezuela proved to be a tough opponent: "They were very physical, in the mindset of South American teams, there are no friendlies in this sport and we too must approach every game as if it were a final."

Another reigning European champion, Jorginho, came on to provide a crucial assist to Retegui to make it 2-1: "I saw his quality straight away; he's very good in front of goal. In this national team, there are players who want to defend our colours, a group of guys who love each other. In modern football, you need not only physicality, but also good ball-playing skills. We can grow, the gaffer is an extremely capable coach and the first thing is to believe in ourselves with the support of our people."