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Attendance: 24,000
Italy national football team
Euro Champ Qualifying | Group Stage
Mar 23, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Finland national football team

2-0

Barella (7'), Kean (74')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Italy's Nicolo Barella wary of Finland threat in Euro 2020 qualifying

Italy's Nicolo Barella wary of Finland threat
© Reuters
The Italians failed to reach last year's World Cup.

Nicolo Barella believes Italy face a tricky start to their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign against Finland.

The 22-year-old Cagliari midfielder is one of the newcomers in Roberto Mancini's Italy squad as they look to bounce back after missing out on last summer's World Cup.

A play-off defeat to Sweden kept Italy out of the tournament for the first time since 1958.

Mancini's men start as Group J favourites as they turn their attention to the European Championship, but Barella is taking nothing for granted in Saturday's opening qualifier against Finland.

"Finland is a compact team and strong off the ball," he said at a press conference according to the national team's website.

"They will wait for our mistakes and we will have to be careful."

On the development of young players by the manager, he added: "Mancini is giving us so much and trust is the most important thing."

Italy will be without Roma's Alessandro Florenzi and Fiorentina forward Federico Chiesa.

Left-back Cristiano Biraghi told the national team website: "We have a difficult race ahead, but we have to win."

Finland travel to Udine on the back of topping a Nations League group that contained Hungary, Greece and Estonia, and they will look to carry on that momentum against the Italians.

Captain Tim Sparv believes Markku Kanerva's side will have to start strong and defend well to secure something from the game.

Sparv told the national team's website: "The last couple of years have been difficult for them, they will certainly be motivated to play against us.

"If we keep our shape and defend as a team, we have a good chance to make life in Italy difficult."

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Dejan Lovren in action during the EFL Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Southampton on January 25, 2017
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Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Spain Spain870121
Q Scotland flag Scotland852117
3 Norway Norway832311
4 Georgia Georgia82248
5 Cyprus Cyprus80080

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
Q France France871022
Q Netherlands Netherlands860218
3 Greece Greece841313
4 Ireland Rep. Ireland82066
5 Gibraltar flag Gibraltar80080

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
Q England flag England862020
Q Italy Italy842214
3 Ukraine Ukraine842214
4 Macedonia N. Macedonia82248
5 Malta flag Malta80080

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Turkey Turkey852117
Q Croatia Croatia851216
3 Wales flag Wales833212
4 Armenia Armenia82248
5 Latvia Latvia81073

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Albania national flag Albania843115
Q Czech Republic Czech Republic843115
3 Poland Poland832311
4 Republic of Moldova Moldova824210
5 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands80262

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Belgium Belgium862020
Q Austria Austria861119
3 Sweden Sweden831410
4 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan82157
5 Estonia Estonia80171

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Hungary Hungary853018
Q Serbia Serbia842214
3 Montenegro Montenegro832311
4 Lithuania Lithuania81346
5 Bulgaria Bulgaria80444

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Denmark Denmark1071222
Q Slovenia Slovenia1071222
3 Finland Finland1060418
4 Kazakhstan Kazakhstan1060418
5 Northern Ireland flag N. Ireland103079
6 San Marino flag San Marino1000100

Group I

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Romania Romania1064022
Q Switzerland Switzerland1045117
3 Israel Israel1043315
4 Belarus Belarus1033412
5 Kosovo flag Kosovo1025311
6 Andorra flag Andorra100282

Group J

TeamPWDLPTS
Q Portugal Portugal10100030
Q Slovakia Slovakia1071222
3 Luxembourg flag Luxembourg1052317
4 Iceland Iceland1031610
5 Bosnia Bosnia H'vina103079
6 Liechtenstein flag Liechtenstein1000100


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