Under-21: very good first half from the Biancoazzurrini, then Italy pull away thanks to a superb Esposito

The Under-21 National Team resume their European qualifying campaign by visiting Italy at the "Francioni" in Latina. Matteo Cecchetti immediately sends on Alberto Riccardi for his debut. On the opposite flank of the five‑man midfield is Simone Giocondi. The returning Tomassini anchors the middle, while Santi and Marco Gasperoni lead the line. The first threat is created by Fazzini with a solo move. The Empoli midfielder starts from the left, cuts inside past a couple of opponents and then unleashes a powerful, driven effort from the edge of the box that whistles just past Amici’s left post, also helped by a deflection. Shortly afterwards, again Fazzini wins the ball back on the flank and exchanges with Esposito who, first time, releases Baldanzi in the box: the Roma playmaker has plenty of goal to aim at, but is denied by an excellent Amici. Then Willy Gnonto sparks into life. On 9 minutes the Azzurri captain cuts in from the left and fires a low shot that does not catch Amici out. Then, midway through the half, he shoots from even closer range, forcing Amici into the toughest save of the match, at least up to that point. In the meantime, Italy have lost Fazzini, replaced by Ndour. In the 24th minute Nunziata is forced into a second change: off comes an injured Baldanzi, on Raimondo. San Marino grow in confidence. Santi and Gasperoni try to push the team up the pitch despite a clear mismatch against the powerful Hellas Verona centre‑backs, Ghilardi and Coppola. On 27 minutes Tomassini floats a ball into the area which the Italian defence clear. Italy, for their part, are struggling to break through. Proof of that is Ruggeri’s fall in the penalty area after a slight push from Guidi: the referee tells the full‑back to get back up. Nunziata gives his players a dressing‑down from the touchline. The Azzurrini respond by scoring the goal that breaks the deadlock. It all starts from another Gnonto move, who cuts in from the left and shoots hard from the edge of the area, only to find a defensive wall; the ball then drops into Bove’s zone, and he unleashes an unstoppable right‑footer, powerful and right into the top corner. Shortly afterwards the home side also find a second. Once again, the move develops down the left. Ruggeri exchanges passes with Ndour (a lovely outside‑of‑the‑boot return ball) and then unleashes a thunderous left‑footer: it crashes off the crossbar, bounces on or around the goal line and is then inadvertently forced into the net by Matteoni, stretching desperately in an attempt to beat Pio Esposito to it. But San Marino keep their shape. In the latter part of the half Gasperoni, through sheer determination, wins a free‑kick out wide. Riccardi swings the ball into the box, picking out Tomassini, whose mishit effort makes for an easy catch for Desplanches. The second half begins with the introductions of Cervellini (another debutant) and Casadei for San Marino, and Ambrosino for Italy. Off come Toccaceli, Guidi and Gnonto. Bove takes over the Italy captain’s armband. Amici is immediately called into action, punching away Raimondo’s close‑range effort; the move continues and the ball drops to Bianco, who from the edge of the box goes for the top corner, missing the target by a whisker. Then Matteo Cecchetti brings on Chiaruzzi for Nicolò Sancisi. On 58 minutes Italy make it three from a set piece: Bove delivers deep for Pio Esposito, who looks borderline offside but appears all alone at the far post, where he only has to open up his right foot to steer the ball past Amici. The Biancoazzurri goalkeeper is soon called into action again to parry Bianco’s powerful, close‑range right‑footer and, moments later, to deny Esposito’s header from an Ndour cross into the middle. In the 72nd minute Marco Gasperoni’s match is over; Pasolini comes on. Within a few minutes Mattia Sancisi pulls up with a muscle problem. He is replaced by Simone Gasperoni, who also makes his Under-21 debut. But he cannot come on immediately. First Sancisi’s condition has to be assessed and, in that very brief window, Italy score their fourth. Bove tries a dink from inside the penalty area, Amici fails to hold the ball and Esposito pounces to notch his second of the evening. Just a couple of minutes later the Spezia forward completes his hat‑trick on the counter‑attack, led by Bianco and finished by Esposito himself, who cuts onto his right and places the ball into the far bottom corner. The 6-0 comes from Raimondo, who simply has to open up his foot inside the six‑yard box to turn in Ruggeri’s precise cut‑back. Pisilli comes on for Italy and immediately has the chance to get on the scoresheet from a delightful Ndour delivery, but the Roma man’s header lacks power and Amici gathers. Italy go close again to a seventh when Ndour’s touch in the penalty area drifts just wide. At the end of the same move the referee books Matteoni who, already on a caution, will now miss the Turkey game. Shortly after the board shows a rather generous amount of added time – 6 minutes – Italy add another from a corner: once again Pio Esposito is the one to make the difference in the ensuing goalmouth scramble, getting the faintest of touches to make it 7-0 and complete his four‑goal haul. It finishes with the same scoreline as the reverse fixture, confirmed by the final whistle from Mr Radina, thanks also to a sensational goal‑line clearance by Giocondi with stoppage time almost over. This brings to an end the Under-21 National Team’s away programme on the road to Euro 2025. Next Tuesday comes the penultimate fixture of the two‑year cycle, at the Stadium against Turkey.

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Under-21, Euro 2025 qualifying | Italy – San Marino 7-0   ITALY Desplanches (from 80' Zacchi); Savona, Coppola, Ghilardi, Ruggeri; Bove (from 80' Pisilli), Bianco, Fazzini (from 14' Ndour); Baldanzi (from 24' Raimondo), Esposito, Gnonto (from 46' Ambrosino) Substitutes: Zanotti, Pirola, Fabbian, Bonfanti Head coach: Carmine Nunziata   SAN MARINO Amici; Guidi (from 46' Cervellini), Matteoni, M. Sancisi (from 79' S. Gasperoni); Giocondi, N. Sancisi (from 55' Chiaruzzi), Tomassini, Toccaceli (from 46' Casadei), Riccardi; M. Gasperoni (from 72' Pasolini), Santi Substitutes: Borasco, M. Ciacci, Giambalvo, F. Ciacci Head coach: Matteo Cecchetti Referee: Marek Radina (CZE) Assistant referees: Kamil Hajek (CZE), Michal Volf (CZE) Fourth official: Dominik Starý (CZE) Booked: Riccardi, Giocondi, Ghilardi, Raimondo, Santi, Matteoni Scorers: 34' Bove, 37' og. Matteoni, 58', 76', 78' and 90+1' Esposito

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