View Full Version : Italy U21 vs France U21 Friendly
Italy's squad: Goalkeepers: Consigli (Rimini), Sirigu (Cremonese)
Defenders: Andreolli (Roma), Criscito (Juventus), Marzoratti (Empoli), Motta (Udinese), Pisano (Cagliari), Ranocchia (Arezzo), Santacroce (Brescia)
Midfielders: Cigarini (Parma), De Ceglie (Siena), Dessena (Parma), Giovinco (Empoli), Marchisio (Empoli), Morosini (Vicenza), Paonessa (Bologna), Russotto (Treviso)
Strikers: Acquafresca (Cagliari), Lupoli (Fiorentina), Pozzi (Empoli), Rossi (Villarreal)
Can't find the French squad anywhere...
The match is Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. EST.
France u-21
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (OGC Nice), Geoffrey Jourdren(Montpellier Hérault SC).
Defenders: Habib Bellaid (RC Strasbourg), Mouhamadou Dabo (AS Saint-Etienne), Maxime Josse (FC Sochaux), Cyriaque Louvion (Le Mans UC 72), Florian Marange (FC Girondins de Bordeaux), Youssouf Mulumbu (Paris Saint-Germain FC).
Midfielders: Alexandre Bonnet (CS Sedan-Ardennes), Clément Chantôme (Paris Saint-Germain FC), Vincent Muratori (AS Monaco FC), Yoan Gouffran (SM Caen), Yoann Gourcuff :haha: (AC Milan), Sylvain Marveaux (Stade Rennais FC), Blaise Matuidi (AS Saint-Etienne).
Strikers: Serge Gakpé (AS Monaco FC), Jérémy Menez (AS Monaco FC), Dimitri Payet (AS Saint-Etienne), Julien Quercia (FC Sochaux-Montbéliard), Mamadou Samassa (Le Mans UC 72).
Apart from Gourcuff and that Henry-like Monaco attacker Gakpe, i haven't seen the others from this French team.
Italians are solid but i think they are not as good as the previous u-21 that had Chiellini, Aquilani, Pazzini, Palladino, Rosina, Nocerino and Montolivo
Rossi, Andreolli and Criscito are still here (from the best team of the previous u-21), Lino Marzoratti is a good RB , the Parma duo in midfield plays really good, Pozzi is a very good striker, Marchisio has been one of the best in Juve last year and of course...Giovinco magic :)
Italians still have a good team, that's for sure
As much as I love Italy, I'd like to see a great game from Gourcuff :D. Also would love to see Pozzi/Marzoratti(Milan owned players) in action.
Just to add that France is missing 5 players who would have been sure starters :
attacker Hatem Ben Arfa (Lyon) , midfielder Didier Digard (PSG) and full back Yassin Moutaouakil (Charlton) are injured while Samir Nasri (Marselle) and Karim Benzema (Lyon) will play with the senior team
Italy-France 2:1 FT
The Italian Under-21 side kicked off the 2007-08 season in the best possible manner with a 2-1 victory over France.
A lively first half performance won it for the Azzurrini in a game that underlined that they will again be a force to be reckoned with on this stage for the immediate future.
Coach Gigi Casiraghi opted to use the Spezia test to try out a new formation.
Having mainly used a 4-1-4-1 with the last Under-21 generation, the former striker fielded a potentially more exciting 4-3-2-1 shape against a French outfit that included Milan’s Yoann Gourcuff and impressive Monaco forward Jeremy Menez.
However, it was the Azzurrini who ended the first half in front after a scintillating spell of football from Sebastian Giovinco and Giuseppe Rossi.
The two gems were used as No 10s behind Nicola Pozzi and it proved to be effective against a Les Bleus side which was clearly weak on the right flank.
In a game which included some tasty challenges, which led to the showing of numerous yellow cards, Italy took their time to really threaten French ‘keeper Hugo Lloris even if Giovinco and Rossi were looking dangerous.
French attacks were rather thin and were mainly limited to long-range efforts that were comfortably dealt with by Andrea Consigli in between the Italian sticks.
By the half hour stage Italy had settled and took the lead through Daniele Dessena. He may have been the kid who got his name on the score-sheet but it was all down to Giovinco really.
The pint-sized attacking midfielder, on loan at Empoli from Juventus, skipped past three players on the left and his low cross was diverted into the empty net by Dessena. It was the youngster’s second international goal in just four games.
That strike saw the limited crowd at the Alberto Picco rise to their feet and they did the same just three minutes later when Rossi made it 2-0. A corner from the left found Rossi near the penalty spot and the new Villarreal signing stylishly smashed it in with his left foot.
Half-time brought with it the inevitable mass changes which we are accustomed to in friendlies and robbed us of more from Rossi and Giovinco who were replaced by Arturo Lupoli and Robert Acquafresca.
The changes had a negative effect on the Azzurrini who gifted France a goal back. A misunderstanding at the back between Marco Motta and Lino Marzoratti allowed the ball to find Julien Quercia who slotted home.
The Italian defence was looking rather nervy having lost Domenico Criscito in training this morning, before Marco Andreolli and Fabiano Santacroce were forced off during the game because of injury.
And it wasn’t long before France almost equalised as sub ‘keeper Salvatore Sirigu was forced into a cracking save from Yoan Gouffran.
The second period was no advertisement for entertainment as the sides struggled to build attacks with the final ball letting down both sets of players. Marchisio and Lupoli did have efforts on goal, but neither looked like rippling the net.
It wasn’t until injury time that the scoreline almost changed again. Gabriele Paonessa cut in from the left and his right-footed shot slammed into the post. It mattered not though as Italy held on for a win they deserved and clearly wanted.
Italy 2-1 France
Goals: Dessena 37 (I), G Rossi 40 (I), Quercia 55 (F)
Italy: Consigli (Sirigu 46); Motta, Andreolli (Santacroce 22, Ranocchia 57), Marzoratti, Pisano (Paonessa 66); Cigarini (Morosini 60), Dessena (De Ceglie 46), Marchisio; Giovinco (Lupoli 46), Rossi (Acquafresca 46); Pozzi (Russotto 46)
France: Lloris; Bellaid, Josse (Louvion 71), Marange (Moutaouakil 46), Dabo (Marveaux 46); Chantome (Gouffran 46), Gourcuff (Mulumbu 86), Matuidi, Payet (Ben Arfa 46); Menez (Quercia 46), Samassa (Bonnet 46)
Channel4
Yes, i'm becoming boring and i know you don't like it....but Giovinco rocks !
:D
Good for Italy at least :D Hope Gourcuff played well...I missed the match due to school :(
vBulletin® v3.7.1, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.