The stats relating to Roberto Mancini’s National Team are certainly very impressive, with Italy having rekindled enthusiasm thanks to their record-breaking achievements. Yesterday’s friendly against Moldova saw 3.7 million television viewers tune in (a 15% share). They got to enjoy six Azzurri goals from a side that is increasingly being built and performing in its Head Coach’s image.

Mancini has the best record out of any Italy Head Coach in the past 50 years after 22 matches (15 wins, five draws and two defeats): converted into points, the Azzurri have picked up 50 under his watch, three more than the total that Sacchi and Vicini managed to achieve after the same number of games played. Mancini’s team are undefeated in eleven home fixtures (six wins and five draws, 31 goals scored and six conceded), while the win against Moldova saw the Azzurri stretch their unbeaten run to 17 games (14 wins and three draws). Italy’s last defeat came on 10 September 2018, when they lost away to Portugal in the UEFA Nations League.  

With Caputo and Cragno having made their debuts yesterday, the Head Coach has now fielded 27 debutants since he took charge. While Cragno is the sixth goalkeeper to play under Mancini (following on from Donnarumma, Sirigu, Perin, Gollini and Meret), Ciccio Caputo, at the age of 33 years and two months, became the oldest striker to make his Italy debut and the second most experienced Azzurri debutant of all time after Emiliano Moretti (33 years and five months). The Sassuolo forward is the 89th player to have scored at least one goal on their National Team debut, with two other players having already achieved this feat with Mancini at the helm: Pavoletti and Orsolini. This trio have thus joined an exclusive club which contains champions from various eras, like Meazza, Piola, Amadei, Chinaglia, Ancelotti, Vieri and De Rossi. Since Mancini has been in charge, Italy have scored 53 goals and have had 26 different goalscorers (Belotti has bagged the most with five), with Cristante, Berardi and Caputo joining this list yesterday.

For the first time in the National Team’s history, three Sassuolo players – Berardi, Caputo and Locatelli – took to the pitch, with the latter playing his second Italy match in Florence after his impressive debut in the team’s win against the Netherlands in Amsterdam last month. Yesterday’s friendly at the Franchi is one that Stephan El Shaarawy will never forget: on his 26th Italy appearance, he captained the side and scored his first Azzurri brace (his first goal was the 50th of the Mancini era).