CRISTIANO BIRAGHI SNATCHED a late victory to give new Italy coach Roberto Mancini his first competitive victory and keep the Azzurri’s Nations League hopes alive with a 1-0 win in their League A Group 3 clash on Sunday as Poland were relegated.
Defender Biraghi, 26, slid in the winner two minutes into injury time for his first goal for Italy in a game his team had dominated.
It gives Mancini his first competitive victory since taking over as Italy coach last May, after the four-time world champions failure to qualify for the World Cup.
“We dominated the game, we had to score the first goal, it would have been unjust to finish 0-0,” said Mancini.
“All the lads are trying to do their best. It’s a good win in a very good game.”
European champions Portugal lead the three-team group with six points from two games with Italy on four points after three games with Poland relegated to League B with one point.
Mancini stuck with the same eleven he started with in last Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against the Ukraine with Federico Bernardeschi, Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Chiesa leading the attack.
Nicolo Barella, 21, was chosen to start over Lorenzo Pellegrini in midfield after making his international debut in Genoa.
Poland opted for the strike partnership of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik over Genoa forward Krzysztof Piatek, who has scored 14 goals in ten competitive games for club and country.
Italy had the best of the first half but once again demonstrated their difficulty finishing off.
Jorginho rattled the bar within the first minute, with Federico Chiesa also hitting the woodwork after half an hour in the Silesian Stadium.
Poland could thank Wojciech Szczesny for keeping them in the game with the under-pressure goalkeeper denying Alessandro Florenzi, Jorginho, Federico Bernardeschi and Juventus teammate Giorgio Chiellini in the first half.
Italy had a goal disallowed after 65 minutes following a well-worked pass between Bernardeschi and Marco Verratti with Insigne offside in the box.
Poland also had a couple of chances in the second half with Kamil Grosicki denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma, with Arkadiusz Milik curling over.
Kamil Glik fired in low from inside the box following a free-kick but Donnarumma proved solid.
Just when it looked as if both sides would settle for a draw, off the last corner, substitute Kevin Lasagna, who made his international debut, steered in for the Biraghi to finish off.
The Fiorentina defender made the sign ’13′ with his hands, as he dedicated his first goal to former Italy and Fiorentina captain Davide Astori who died of a heart attack last March.
The result ensures Italy stayed in the tier ahead of December’s Euro 2020 qualifying draw, with Poland dropping to League B.
Italy next host Portugal on 17 November with Poland playing in Portugal three days later.
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He is such a talent,i just hope he doesnt fade out like so many other players.How is it that Belgium are producing these players?
Looking over the hedges into Holland for the last 20 years I’d say….
If the Irish public and the fai gave a toss about our league, maybe one day we could be producing players of that caliber and competing in the champions league.
Put pressure on the FAI to revamp the league, new teams & franchise. One team per county & 2 for Dublin! GET OF YOUR BARSTOOL IRELAND.
Next Friday Irl are probably gonna get slaughtered by Germany, and the same old moaning will start! do something about it stop relying on England’s hand me downs, produce our own players! Mimic Spain & Belgium, build academies!
I’m free on Wednesday Michael if that’s any good to ya?
We’ll do it tomorrow
Hes Kosovan but they have no team, hes going to play with Albainia
He hasn’t decided who he’s going to play for yet. He said two years ago that he would make his decision when he’s playing regular first team football.
He could play with England from 2015 due to residency rules.
The new Paul Scholes?
Belgium will be hoping they can hold on to him, as will Utd. I don’t know why he wouldn’t declare for Belgium as they should do well in the world cup next year and have a great chance of winning Euro 2016 or World Cup 2018.
What position did he start today?
Left mid
He might have an Irish granny and is probably holding on for a calling up from our new gaffer!
Eh, Roy Hodgson started talking about “nationalising” him so he can qualify as an England player- his Irish granny has got no chance…although as usual they’re way ahead of themselves, cos everybody wants to play for Engurland.
As long as he’s not the new Pogba (Contract ends at the end of the season), you can call him whatever you want.
Isn’t Januzaj out of contact at the end of the season?! This performance will have his agent doing cartwheels.
Delighted, glad to see a united team finally fight tooth and nail….
He’s the new Macheda!
Nah, in fairness he’s good alright.
Ive been saying since pre season that this kid should be starting in the team. He played every week during pre season and scored and couple and made a couple of assists. He will be a more central player as he gets older ( he started wide today ) And he will be one of the best in the world in a couple of years.
Belgium have unearthed a a load of excellent offensive midfielders in the last few years. But are still weakish in defence. Not sure they will be winning any major comps.
They have unearthed a lot of attacking talent based on the decision to standardise the playing formation to 4-3-3 across all levels of Belgium football a few years ago. Seemed strange at the time but it appears to be paying off now. They also copied the Barcelona academy training regime by having their young players first play 5v5 then 8v8 and eventually 11v11 to improve their technical ability. If they hold the ball as well as Barca it won’t matter how good their defence is. Having said that they have some good defenders in Verthongen, Vermaelan and Kompany
Weakish in defence? Vertonghon ,vermalan, kompany, van buyten(b.munich),alderweireld(a.madrid), lombaerts(zenith)…….do you watch football….
”He can be anything he wants to be”declares Carrick.
I think he will stick to being a footballer, good lad Carrick.
brill goal especially the second this is wat united have been crying out for..a good midfielder…..onwards and upward plz sign a new contract…MUFC TILL I DIE!!!
What a Crowd of Fakes..
Who here is a Manchester city fan I know I am
Goway Dermot look at the state of you
Mötley… Another winning bet look at my twitter