Download Italy vs Bosnia & Herzegovina 1-0 Highlights | Friendly Match
Italy beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 on Sunday to win their final warm-up match before defending their European Championship title in Germany.
Davide Frattesi’s classy volley seven minutes before halftime was enough for Italy to claim victory in soaking conditions in Empoli.
Inter Milan midfielder Frattesi could have scored at least once before netting from Federico Chiesa’s clipped cross as Luciano Spalletti’s experimental line-up showed encouraging flashes of attacking flair and quickfire passing.
The Azzurri performed much better than in Tuesday’s drab goalless draw with Turkey, with Gianluca Scamacca also being twice denied by Bosnia goalkeeper Kenan Piric.
Italy open the defence of their crown on June 15 against Albania in Group B, where they have also been drawn with Spain and Croatia.
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Bosnia failed to qualify for the Euro 2024 and were missing captain Edin Dzeko but had the first chance, Haris Hajradinovic being denied by a superb Gianluigi Donnarumma save after he intercepted Riccardo Calafiori’s sloppy pass.
Frattesi then had three good chances to open the scoring before finally guiding in his fifth international goal.
Striker Scamacca, who was key to Atalanta making history by winning the Europa League, had his head in his hands in the 64th minute when his powerful volley was brilliant tipped away by Piric.
The 25-year-old who was involved in much of Italy’s best play, should have done better nine minutes later when Andrea Cambiaso supplied him with a perfect low cross which he could only direct straight at Piric from near the penalty spot.
And the hosts’ profligacy in front of goal was almost punished in stoppage time when a dozing Federico Dimarco rolled Anel Ahmedhodzic clean through on goal.
But Donnarumma brilliantly closed Ahmedhodzic down to ensure Italy would travel to Germany after a deserved win.
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Match stats
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TEAM STATS
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|---|---|---|
| 17 | Shots | 8 |
| 6 | Shots on target | 3 |
| 64% | Possession | 36% |
| 647 | Passes | 377 |
| 91% | Pass accuracy | 84% |
| 9 | Fouls | 10 |
| 0 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 3 | Offsides | 0 |
| 10 | Corners | 3 |
TALKING POINT – ITALY DO NOT BELONG AMONGST THE FAVOURITES
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – DAVIDE FRATTESI (ITALY)
TALKING POINT – ITALY DO NOT BELONG AMONGST THE FAVOURITES
At present they stand as one of the big-eight sides, albeit along with Belgium and the Netherlands less fancied than the market leaders, but it is hard to envisage this side doing any damage in Euro 2024.
Watching this match, Albania will feel confident they can hold them out in a match Italy may well feel they need three points from ahead of matches with Spain and Croatia.
Chiesa is not playing near the same level as he did previously and Scamacca looked more like the frustrating force he was at West Ham, rather than the player who netted six in his last eight Serie A games for Atalanta.
Added to this, the feeling this is far from your forefather’s catenaccio defence, was enhance by errors from Riccardo Calafiori and Federico Dimarco whose blushes were saved on the night by Gianluigi Donnarumma – one berth where Italy can feel secure.
With four third place qualifiers getting out of the group the chances are they will reach the Round of 16 one way or another, but it is hard to see them getting any further.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – DAVIDE FRATTESI (ITALY)
Frattesi has not been a regular starter for Inter this season but his bursts of energy in what can sometimes seem a static Azzuri forward line, may see him be gifted with a starting berth. He could have had a hat-trick by half time showing some limitations in his game but he is likely to trouble defences more than other members of the squad. It remains to be seen whether he is given a starting berth but he could not have put much better a case for his inclusion than he produced tonight.
PLAYER RATINGS
Italy: Donnarumma 7; Darmian 6, Buongiorno 7, Calafiori 6; Bellanova 7, Jorginho 6, Fagioli 6, Cambiaso 7; Frattesi 8*, Chiesa 6; Scamacca 6.
Subs: Pellegrini 6, Cristante 6, Dimarco 6, Folorunsho 6, Raspadori 6, Retegui 6.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Piric 7; Ahmedhodzic 7, Katic 7, Bicakcic 6; Gazibegovic 6, Tahirovic 6, Saric 6, Hajradinovic 6, Mujakic 6; Gigovic 6, Demirovic 6.
Subs: Huseinbasic 6, Burnic 6, Hadzikadunic 6, Sosic, Muharemovic.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
8′ HAJRADINOVIC INCHES FROM TAKING THE LEAD! The ball was given away in the Italian third and played across to the midfielder on the left flank, he turned inside of Darmian but Donnarumma just got enough of a hand to the ball to push it wide.
11′ KARIC CLEARS OFF LINE! Some lovely interplay between Chiesa and Scamacca set up Frattesi and he nudges wide of the keeper where Chiesa shoots from inside the six-yard box but the Bosnia and Herzegovina defender blocks the shot.
38′ GOAL! ITALY (FRATTESI) 1-0 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA! There was no sign of this happening! But the Inter forward leapt high in the air to athletically volley home Chiesa’s cross.
64′ ALMOST GREAT GOAL FROM SCAMACCA! After Bosnia lost the ball just outside their own area, Scamacca passed back to Buongiorno and latched onto his clipped pass but his volley was denied by a great save from Piric.
72′ CAMBIASO CROSSES FOR SCAMACCA! Good work from the flanker after moving to the right hand side, but after he found his centre forwarrd, Scamacca’s effort was saved by Piric diving to his left.
90′ GREAT CHANCE FOR AN EQUALISER! But Donnarumma came to the edge of this are and denied the effort of Ahmedhodzic who was played in by Dimarco’s horror backpass.
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