The first of two friendlies between the Under-19 national team and their Welsh counterparts ended in an exciting 3-3 draw. The Azzurrini, fresh from their victory in the tournament held in Croatia in September, played well but couldn’t break the resistance of their opponents, who found the equaliser just seconds before the final whistle.

The match held at the Bruno Benelli in Ravenna was opened in the 17th minute by Vimal Yoganathan, who beat Martinelli with a precise shot from the edge of the box. Around the half-hour mark, Italy responded strongly with a quickfire double from AC Milan players Mattia Liberali and Francesco Camarda, both key figures in the Under-17 European Championship victory a few months ago. In the 31st minute, the Rossoneri playmaker equalised with a strike from a tight angle, and a minute later provided the assist for his teammate, who made it 2-1 with a powerful right-footed shot across goal, leaving the opposing keeper no chance. Just a few minutes later, Wales levelled again with a penalty converted by Gabriele Biancheri, the 18-year-old Manchester United forward.

In the second half, Italy remained solid at the back and consistently pressed for a new lead. In the 91st minute, Juve Stabia full-back Niccolò Fortini put Italy ahead for the third time, beating Kit Margetson. However, in the 94th minute, George Morgan made it 3-3 with a close-range header. “These camps are crucial as they allow us to prepare for the European Championship qualifiers", said coach Alberto Bollini. “The only regret is not having all the players available, as we are missing many in a decisive part of the season. My staff and I are working to expand the squad, and we received some good feedback today. We were very strong offensively but will need to focus more on the defensive phase. In three days, we will give playing time to those who had less today, and we want to see improvements. Our goal is to develop a mature youth team".

Italy will return to the pitch on Sunday at 14:00 CEST at the Valentino Mazzola in Santarcangelo di Romagna for the second friendly against the Welsh selection, the final fixture before the start of the category’s European Championship qualifiers. Italy, placed in Group 8, will fly to Greece from 13 to 19 November to face Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and the host nation.

Players called up

Goalkeepers: Renato Bellucci Marin (Roma), Tommaso Martinelli (Fiorentina);

Defenders: Niccolò Fortini (Juve Stabia), Eddy Nda Konan Kouadio (Fiorentina)*, Giovanni Leoni (Parma), Andrea Natali (Bayer Leverkusen), Filippo Pagnucco (Juventus), Matteo Giuseppe Plaia (Perugia), Filippo Reale (Roma), Lorenzo Tosto (Empoli);

Midfielders: Andrea Bonanomi (Atalanta), Federico Cassa (Atalanta), Mattia Liberali (AC Milan), Leonardo Mendicino (Cesena), Valdes Ngana (Juventus)***, Fabio Rispoli (Virtus Verona)***, Emanuele Sala (AC Milan);

Forwards: Francesco Camarda (AC Milan), Maat Daniel Caprini (Fiorentina)**, Jeff Ekhator Osayuki (Genoa), Seydou Fini (Excelsior Rotterdam), Gabriele Finocchiaro (Juventus)*****, Diego Sia (AC Milan)******.