Italy beat Dutch to take top spot as Zaniolo awaits knee verdict
08 September, 2020
Italy moved top of their UEFA Nations League group on Monday after an extraordinary 1-0 win over holland that was slightly spoiled by news rising star Nicolo Zaniolo may have suffered another serious knee injury.
Nicolo Barella's bullet header in first half stoppage time was enough for Roberto Mancini's side to take all three points in Amsterdam and top spot in League A, Group 1.
The 'Azzurri' are a point prior to the Dutch, who are playing under interim coach Dwight Lodeweges following Ronald Koeman's defection to Barcelona, and third-placed Poland following their 2-1 away win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"I'm happy for the mentality, the performance, the boys really played brilliantly," said Mancini to Italian broadcaster Rai.
Mancini made seven changes from the team that drew 1-1 with Bosnia on Friday, ending an 11-match winning streak, and his team dominated at the Johan Cruijff Arena.
"You don't win 11 games in a row unless you have an excellent mentality. The teams we beat (in Euro 2020 qualification) weren't as effective as holland or Germany, but winning games is still tough," the former Inter Milan and Manchester City coach added.
Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile and Leonardo Spinazzola all had a good amount of joy attacking down the left flank, with left-back Spinazzola creating the first potential for the game with an instant burst towards the byline in the 17th minute.
His cross found his Roma teammate Nicolo Zaniolo who was simply unlucky to not open the scoring with an acrobatic bicycle kick.
Two minutes later Immobile cut in from the same flank before firing a go just wide, and ten minutes before the break it had been Insigne's turn to charge in from the left and curl a decent effort just wide of the far post.
- Zaniolo knee fears -
Things took a turn for the worse for Italy when Zaniolo limped off in the first half with a knee problem, a worry for the 21-year-old who only returned from a significant left knee injury in the summertime.
Following the match Italy's chief doctor Andrea Ferretti confirmed that it had been a "significant sprain", adding that "he's worried, as are we."
Yet, in the post-match media conference Mancini said that attacking midfielder Zaniolo was "calmer" as he was wasn't "experiencing serious pain".
Down the road Monday evening Roma said that Zaniolo had suffered "trauma" to his left knee, adding that he'd undergo tests to "assess the full extent of the injury" when he returns to the Italian capital on Tuesday.
With Moise Kean on in Zaniolo's place Italy continued to regulate the match and in added time Barella gave the away side a deserved lead, crashing home a header from an Immobile cross -- again from the left.
The hosts started the second half on the trunk foot but could have been level in the 55th minute had Gianluigi Donnarumma not tipped over Donny van de Beek's stinging close-range drive.
However Italy continued to cause the Dutch problems, wasting a host of promising positions against a Netherlands team that lacked the vitality of the medial side Koeman had resulted in qualification for Euro 2020.
Kean should have put the result beyond doubt as the Dutch pushed hard for a leveller in added time but after rounding Jasper Cillessen could only shank his shot wide.
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