The National Team’s march continues: Roberto Mancini’s men came from behind to beat Armenia 3-1 this evening and secured their fifth consecutive win in EURO 2020 qualifying in doing so, thus consolidating their grip on first place and taking an important step towards achieving qualification for next year’s competition. Mancini’s side struggled at the start, going behind after eleven minutes in Yerevan and conceding only their second goal in the group in the process. However, the team demonstrated their superior technical ability and managed to turn the game around with goals from Belotti and Lorenzo Pellegrini, all following the goal from Armenia’s Karapetyan, who was later sent off. With the home side down to ten men for the whole of the second half, Italy’s performance wasn’t all too convincing, but the Head Coach’s decision to bring on Pellegrini did prove decisive: the Roma player chose the perfect time to score his first goal for the Azzurri, with Belotti then sealing it with the help of the Armenian goalkeeper.

A win against Finland in Tampere on Sunday will put Italy on the verge of qualification, and would mean that Mancini’s men could seal their spot in the first touring European Championship on 12 October against Greece at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

The match. For the first game of the season Roberto Mancini started with a midfield who may lack in height, but certainly make up for it in their skill and quick feet, with the trio of Barella, Jorginho and Verratti. They supported an offensive trident with Belotti at the point and Chiesa and Bernadeschi on either side, whilst Italy’s back four saw Florenzi, Bonucci, Romagnoli and Emerson Palmieri all in front of the ever-present Donnarumma. Armenia were in high spirits after their successes achieved in June against Liechtenstein and Greece, and new Roma signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan was also in fine form, a star of his national team and a scorer in both previous encounters with the Azzurri in 2014 World Cup qualification.

Verratti and Jorginho were always at the heart of things at the 'Republican Stadium', but Italy as a whole struggled to get going in the first minutes due to the relentless pressing from the hosts, who shocked Italy by taking the lead in the eleventh minute. After a loose pass in midfield, Barella had his pocket picked by Barseghyan, who carried the ball forward 30 yards before playing in Karapetyan, his diagonal shot across goal slipping past Donnarumma. It was a third consecutive goal in qualification for the striker who plays in Russia with Sochi, after finishes against both Liechtenstein and Greece. Having taken the lead, Armenia were happy to drop back into their own half, leaving the Azzurri to dictate play and attempt to break through their defensive line. This was exactly what Italy went on to try, first with Chiesa’s effort blocked by Hayrapetyan, then with Bernadeschi in the 23rd minute, who after being played in by Chiesa really tested the reflexes of the Armenian goalkeeper.

The equaliser arrived in the 28th minute: Emerson Palmieri, a constant threat down the left all night, skipped past one and put in a great cross for Belotti waiting at the back post, who made no mistake in dispatching the chance for his sixth goal for the Azzurri. Just one minute later Italy had the chance to take the lead, but Bernardeschi's left-footed curler rattled against the crossbar and went out of play. Italy picked up the pace, shifting the ball well from left to right and showing that they certainly have not lost their ability to play. Jorginho picked out Belotti in the area with a delightful dink in the 40th minute, but after the chance was smashed home by the striker it was correctly ruled out for offside. Shortly afterwards the Torino front-man popped up again, this time assisted from deep by Barella, but his effort dropped just wide of the post. In additional time of the first half, the scorer of Armenia’s goal, Karapetyan, received a second booking for an elbow to the face of Bonucci, seeing his side reduced to ten men. A tough blow for the hosts, who were let off right before half-time after Belotti’s miss from in front of goal, the result of some excellent build-up play from Jorginho and Chiesa.

Italy really pushed on in the second half but were sloppy at times. After a dangerous break from Mkhitaryan, only brought to a halt by Barella’s tactical foul on the edge of the area, Mancini decided it was time for a change and brought on Lorenzo Pellegrini for Chiesa. A change that would go on to be decisive. However, Mkhitaryan continued to threaten on the break, and this time it was Emerson with the decisive intervention, blocking a promising shot from Roma’s new man. Sensi stepped onto the pitch in the 70th minute in place of Barella and immediately looked lively, trying from distance but sending his shot high over the crossbar. Armenia did well to shut up shop and the Azzurri were struggling to find space. But this all changed with Lorenzo Pellegrini's first Azzurri goal, which was worth its weight in gold. The substitute stormed into the box in the 77th minute to meet Bonucci’s cross from the right, beating Haroyan to the ball and sending his header past Hayrapetyan. Just three minutes later Italy were at it again and the win was sealed, Belotti turning brilliantly in the box, snapping a shot off on his left, and delighted to see the ball bounce off the near post, onto Hayrapetyan's back, and finally into the Armenian net to secure the result for Italy. Belotti had the ball in the net again in injury time after Pellegrini’s assist, but the goal was unfairly ruled out due to an apparent offside, which replays proved as the wrong decision. It was thus that the game ended 3-1 to Italy, the same result as in Armenia in 2012. One step closer to EURO 2020.

ARMENIA 1-3 ITALY (1-1 HT)

Goals: 11’ Karapetyan (A), 28’ Belotti (I), 77’ Lo. Pellegrini (I), 80’ O.G. Hayrapetyan

ARMENIA: Hayrapetyan; Hambardzumyan, Haroyan, Calisir, Hovhannisyan; Grigoryan (57’ Hosvepyan) Mkrtchyan; Barseghyan (57’ Adamyan), Mkhitaryan (Cap), Gharzaryan (82’ Babayan); Karapetian. Subs: Blegaryan, Aivazov, Miranyan, Yedigaryan, Vardanyan, Hosvepyan, Avetisyan, Hovhannisyan, Voskanyan, Ishkhanyan. Coach: Gyulbudaghyants.

ITALY: Donnarumma; Florenzi, Bonucci (Cap), Romagnoli, Emerson; Verratti, Jorginho, Barella (69’ Sensi); Chiesa (61’ Lo. Pellegrini), Belotti, Bernardeschi (83’ Lasagna). Subs: Sirigu, Meret, Izzo, Mancini, Lu.Pellegrini, Tonali, Immobile, El Shaarawy, Grifo. Coach: Mancini.

Referee: Daniel Siebert (GER). Assistants: Jan Seidel and Markus Haecker (GER). Fourth official: Sascha Stegemann (GER).

Cautions: 46’ red card for Karapetyan (A). Bookings for Verratti (I), Gharzaryan (A), Barseghyan (A) and Barella (I).

The National Team's schedule

Friday 6 September
10:30 (8:30 CEST) - Training at the FFA Academy Training Centre (behind closed doors)
16:40 (14:40 CEST) - Flight departs from Yerevan to Tampere
All times below are in local time (+1 in relation to CET)

Saturday 7 September
17:30 (16:30 CEST) - Press conference with the Coach and one player at the Tampere Stadium
18:00 (17:00 CEST) - MD-1 Training at the Tampere Stadium (open to the media for the first 15 minutes)

Sunday 8 September
21:45 (20:45 CEST) - Finland vs. Italy at the Tampere Stadium. Meeting with the media after the game and then airport transfer
01:15 (00:15 CEST) - Flight departs from Tampere to Malpensa/Rome