The Azzurrini get their revenge: 2-1 against Spain in Las Rozas

Italy’s Under-16s showed character as they beat Spain 2-1 at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas in the second and final friendly after being defeated 1-0 two days ago. This marks their first away victory of the season.

The Azzurrini took the lead in the 23^rd minute thanks to a goal from Fortune Erhunmwun Egharevba. The Hellas Verona forward had been called up to take the place of Fiorentina’s Niccolò Mattia Barzagli. The Spanish side soon equalised in the 30^th minute with a goal from the Barcelona midfielder Gorka Buil Domínguez. In the second half, Manuel Pasqual’s side took the lead again in the 58^th minute thanks to Genoa defender Lorenzo Damonte, who came on in the 35^th minute for the injured Juventus player Sounkalo Berthé.

The Azzurrini coach commented, "We struggled a bit in the first half because Spain changed their defensive strategy since the first match. But the team was good at recognising the change and adapting accordingly. Although we were a little off in the first half, we played practically perfectly in the second with barely any mistakes, showing great character and team spirit. At the end of the match, I thanked the boys. I’m going home a happy man because we’ve taken another step in the right direction."

MATCH REPORT: Italy stuck to their 4-3-1-2 formation seen two days ago but made complete changes to their starting XI, with just Borsa and Egharevba in attack. Spain took a 4-3-3 approach, with only three of the same players from the friendly: Pablo García, captain Gorka Buil, and Joaquín Sánchez, who scored the decisive goal in their first friendly.

Spain started strong with an early opportunity thanks to Gorka Buil’s left-footed shot, but Costante was ready and kept the Azzurrini in the game with an impressive save in the 7^th minute. Manuel Pasqual’s side found their pace in the match as the game progressed, and in the 17^th minute, a header from Egharevba put Jorge Dueñas to the test, but ultimately didn’t convert. Six minutes later, the same number 14 opened the scoring with a perfectly timed header under the crossbar from a right-sided corner from Fatih. However, the lead was short-lived as Spain equalised in the 30^th minute with Gorka Buil scoring on the rebound after Costante’s save from Carlos Sanchéz’s shot. Spurred on by the momentum, the Spanish side almost scored a second goal thanks to their captain, but Costante was back with a super save on the line. In the 35^th minute, the Azzurrini lost Berthé to injury; Damonte came on to take his place in the centre of defence with Troiano. The first half ends with four minutes of added time at 1-1.

The second half kicks off with a chance for Spain: set up by Bruno Luque, Joaquín Sánchez took a shot from close range, but Costante reacted quickly and denied the number 7. After that early scare, Italy regained their composure and scored in the 58^th minute from a right-sided corner. Damonte was the fastest to get to the ball and sent it past the Spanish goalkeeper, Pablo Peña, who came on for Jorge Dueñas at halftime, giving the Azzurrini a 2-1 lead. The Spanish side tried to respond with shots from Joaquín Sánchez and Asier Sánchez, but Italy’s defence and Costante held firm. Pasqual’s side kept pressing and in the 62^nd minute nearly made it 3-1 thanks to Fatih’s shot from the left, but it was saved by Peña. In the final minutes, Italy kept their lead and secured the win, their first away win of the season, following a performance full of character, efficiency, and resilience right until the last whistle.