Frattesi fires Italy to narrow win over Bosnia in final friendly
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti opted to make wholesale changes from the side that started Tuesday’s goalless draw against Turkey.
One of those to come in was goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was quickly forced into action in the first 10 minutes. The Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper got down low to push Haris Hajradinovic’s strike behind for a corner.
Just moments later, Italy put together a flowing move to carve open the Bosnia defence, only for Nikola Katic to make a crucial block to keep out Federico Chiesa’s goalbound effort.
Italy continued to probe until their patience was rewarded in the 38th minute when Davide Frattesi produced a sublime first-time finish to guide the ball home from Chiesa’s lofted cross.
After taking a narrow lead into the break, Italy threatened to double their advantage just after the hour mark.
A slick passing move created the space for Gianluca Scamacca to unleash a powerful strike, testing the quick reactions of Kenan Piric. The goalkeeper was then required to make another strong stop to keep the Atalanta striker at bay.
The Azzurri were unable to find the insurance of a second goal but Bosnia’s lack of attacking threat allowed them to see out the remaining minutes to claim a confidence-boosting victory and a third consecutive clean sheet.
Italy will quickly turn their focus to their tournament opener against Albania on June 15th. As for Bosnia, they will have the summer to reflect upon a sixth straight defeat before they return to action in the UEFA Nations League in September.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Davide Frattesi (Italy)
