Following a minute of silence (with the players also wearing black armbands) observed in memory of victims from the First World War, the game soon began in startling fashion. England in particular enjoyed a positive start, as both a header and a cross came close to breaking the deadlock. However, this instant pressure soon paid dividends, as the hosts took an early lead in the sixth minute thanks to Demarai Gray, who capitalised on the Azzurrini’s slack defending and fired the ball into the back of the net.
 
This premature blow did startle the visitors, although they soon began to grasp a foothold in the game and levelled the scoring in the 13th minute. Their equalising goal came after some good work on the right-flank by Andrea Conti, whose cross then deflected fortunately off the leg of Galloway and looped its way into the back of the net. This resurgence did not stop there, as the buoyed Azzurrini then took the lead in the 29th minute, when a well-worked corner was dispatched by Di Francesco. The 21-year-old capitalised on a flick-on from Petagna and scored easily.  This completed Italy’s fightback as they took a 2-1 lead at the St Mary’s stadium. Unfortunately, he was soon forced to leave the field in the 43rd minute due to injury and was replaced by Parigini.
 
Following the interval, Di Biagio changed some players, although the U21s maintained a positive rhythm. This did not stop England pushing forward however, as they struck the woodwork twice, whilst Baker then scored to make it 2-2.
 
Despite the high tempo of the game, both teams continued to attack. The 11,000 spectators were served up an extremely entertaining encounter, as neither opted to sit back or relax simply due to the fixture’s friendly nature. Following the late arrival of debutant Capezzi, England’s physical superiority soon prevailed, as Stephens snatched the winning goal in injury time, helping his team secure a dramatic 3-2 win. Italy will now take part in another tough test against Denmark in Bergamo on Monday.
 
It was an underserved defeat for the Azzurrini, although Di Biagio did not complain: “The result leaves us with a slight sense of regret,” he admitted. “But these type of games are important for the players as it makes them realise what is needed to play at the highest level. I liked the team’s desire and determination, even if we should have been more ruthless in the final 30 metres. They have come out on top and perhaps shown that they have something more than us, but that’s okay. I have experimented with new players and I have tried some formations that could be useful in the future.”
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