By Goal.com News on Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Category: Goal.com News

LIVE: Italy vs Lithuania

31' Talk about a festival of football from the Azzurri. Moise Kean is definitely making a claim for a place in next month's squad with those finishes. It's bizarre to think he was playing for Everton's reserves only the other week.

28' Donnarumma was having a busier night than expected over the initial flush of this match but it is fair to say that he can put his feet up now, with slippers and a cup of tea, Wallace and Gromit-style. He's in for a quiet one.

26' At the pace we're going, it feels prudent to say that Italy's record win is a 9-0 victory over the USA, recorded in 1948. We shouldn't get there - but stranger things have happened.

22' Italy are a shade under 60 per cent possession as the quarter-mark of this match approaches. Lithuania will be particularly disappointed to have leaked twice so far, given they haven't been entirely outmatched and outgunned.

20' Jorginho - sporting the captain's armband today - is proving that vital conduit in midfield once more. Not everything is running through him, but enough is to suggest he is the conductor of this orchestra.

18' There's still work to be done here for Italy, even if the three points looks like they have it wrapped up as results go. Every finish is arguably an audition for these players, with the Nations League Finals looming.

16' Italy have been waiting three halves of football for a goal and then two turn up at once, just like London buses. They look in the mood now; Mancini is on the sidelines, clearly delighted so far.

13' Lithuania look to respond, showing a little bit of nerve as they move back into Italian territory. The noise of the crowd almost shreds their composure however and they lose out with the ball.

10' Verbickas with the shot! That feels oddly atypical, but the visitors force Donnarumma to get low and tap his gloves onto the Lithuania effort.

8' Kazlauskas is trimmed by Jorginho and picks up a free-kick for it. The play just allows the sting to be taken out of the growing tempo orchestrated by the hosts.

6' Biraghi pounds his way into the visitors' box and comes up with nothing, as Setkus makes a brave collection under pressure. The pace of Italy is there for all to see - and surely the fitness levels too.

4' It will be curious to see how Italy gel today. The vast number of players who have occupied a fringe spot over the last few months could disrupt their rhythms. Kean pushes up but the ball is duly intercepted and cleared by Lithuania.

2' Early pressure comes - surprisingly - for the visitors after a free-kick and a subsequently deflected shot sets up a corner. It's slapped into the side netting, Slivka unable to control it, and Italy survive a likely rare attack.

1' Referee Craig Pawson blows his whistle and we are underway in this Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier between Italy and Lithuania!

The anthems have concluded and we are moments away from kick-off.

The teams are headed out now - with the presence of Englishman Craig Pawson as referee - and we'll have the national anthems before we begin.

Will there be goals in store today? Just the one finish for Italy over the international break highlights their frugal nature since the back end of Euro 2020 - but with Donnarumma in goal, very little will get through either. It will be an intriguing battle to see if the PSG man is tested much though.

Goals for Stefano Sensi and Ciro Immobile did the job last time out when these two sides met in the reverse fixture earlier this year - but the visitors did famously earn a draw against the then-World Champions in only the Azzurri's second game after winning the Germany 2006 World Cup. Could history repeat itself?

Subs: Artemijus Tutyskinas, Vytas Gaspuitis, Linas Megelaitis, Titas Krapikas, Edvinas Gertmonas, Benas Satkus, Karolis Uzela, Dominykas Barauskas, Rolandas Baravykas.

LITHUANIA (4-2-3-1): Ernestas Setkus; Justas Lasickas, Linas Klimavicius, Edgaras Utkus, Vaidas Slavickas; Martynas Dapkus, Vykintas Slivka; Donatas Kazlauskas, Ovidijus Verbickas, Arvydas Novikovas, Edgaras Dubickas.

Subs: Gaetano Castrovilli, Gianluca Scamacca, Manuel Locatelli, Nicolo Barella, Alessandro Florenzi, Salvatore Sirigu, Pierluigi Gollini, Domenico Berardi, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Davide Calabria, Rafael Toloi.

ITALY (4-3-3): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni, Cristiano Biraghi; Matteo Pessina, Jorginho, Bryan Cristante; Federico Bernardeschi, Giacomo Raspadori, Moise Kean.

For Lithuania, there are few names among their ranks likely to draw immediate recognition - but at least striker Edgaras Dubickas won't have a long flight home afterwards. He plays for Piacenza in Serie C, just an hour or so up the road from tonight's host city.

With the quality of their opponent likely to not trouble even a second-string side too much, Italy have fielded just that today. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Jorginho are the only three survivors of the Euro 2020 Final penalty shootout win over England to make the cut.

In their way stands a side yet to avoid defeat in 2021. Lithuania's record against non-minnows is not pretty reading - a win over Poland a decade ago is their last major scalp - but the Rinktine, coached by Valdas Ivanauskas, will be far from deterred with their night under the bright lights.

Tonight, history beckons for Roberto Mancini and the Azzurri. Last time out, the newly-minted European champions drew with Switzerland - and matched the all-time unbeaten run record in men's senior football of 36 games. Today, on home turf, they'll be fancied to take it outright.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the September international break as Euro 2020 holders Italy look to continue their path towards the Qatar 2022 World Cup in a UEFA qualifier against Lithuania at Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia.

Original link
Leave Comments