The Azzurri continue to push forward on their new path. Following an encouraging draw against Germany, Roberto Mancini’s men beat Marco Rossi’s Hungary this evening. The Hungarians are undoubtedly a tough team to face: they held France and Germany at the European Championship and got the better of England a few days ago. A win was never a given, then, even if tonight’s result should have been more comfortable given the chances the team missed and Gianluca Mancini’s unfortunate own goal. “We played well, especially in the first half, and should have won by a bigger margin,” said the Head Coach after the game. “Their goal led to a bit of fear creeping in. We were also a bit tired and conceding in a match that should have already been finished off can cause you problems. It was an Italy side full of youngsters who need to work hard. There’s a long way to go, but the important thing was to win.”

It seemed like Gianluigi Donnarumma would miss out on tonight’s game following the injury he suffered against Germany, but he grit his teeth and captained his country for the very first time. It’s another important step in the career of the 23-year-old, who Mancini described as the best goalkeeper in Europe and who intervened to keep out two attempts from Sallai: “Wearing the captain’s armband is an incredible feeling, there are no words to describe it. For this shirt, I’d play even without a finger. I’d like to thank the medical staff; thanks to my desire and their help, I managed to take to the pitch.” The Azzurri shot-stopper likes the look of this new Italy team: “We knew that we’d have to change. We need to bounce back and go again with the young players, who have made themselves available. They want to work, and this is the right spirit.”

One new face in the squad is Alessio Zerbin, who came on in the closing stages to become the 45th debutant since the start of the Mancini era: “I’ve been down a long and winding path,” said the 23-year-old Napoli player, who spent last season on loan at Frosinone. “It’s an honour to be here, I wasn’t expecting it. Just two and a half years ago, I played at this stadium in Serie C. Being part of the senior National Team setup is a dream come true.”

From a first time to an excellent return. Eleven months on from his injury against Belgium in the European Championship quarter-finals, Leonardo Spinazzola was back in the starting line-up and showed that he still has all the ability that made him one of the key figures in Italy’s EURO 2020 run: “Taking to the pitch against Argentina removed the small amount of fear I had. Today, I was calm. I’ll have to do a lot of work to reach peak fitness levels. Right now, my legs start to give way at the 70-minute mark, but this is normal. The more I play, the better things will get.”