Italy grind out victory against Bosnia in final warm-up match ahead of Euro 2024

The Italian national team concluded their preparations for Euro 2024 with a 1-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in their final friendly match. Davide Frattesi’s goal in the 38th minute ensured the win for the Azzurri ahead of the biggest European tournament.

Manager Luciano Spalletti opted to switch tactics from a 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-4-2-1 setup for this match. This adjustment saw Riccardo Calafiori making his first start for the national team. However, key players Nicolò Barella and goalkeeper Alex Meret were sidelined due to muscle issues.

Italy started the game strongly, creating several dangerous chances early on against Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, they squandered many scoring opportunities due to poor finishing skills. One of the notable chances was a swift combination between Davide Frattesi and Federico Chiesa, but both were thwarted by defender Katic.

Just five minutes later, Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced into action, making a crucial save after Gazibegovic’s direct shot. Shortly after, Matteo Darmian intervened timely to block Hajradinovic’s attempt following a defensive error by Alessandro Buongiorno.

The turning point of the match came in the 38th minute when Federico Chiesa delivered a precise headed pass from the left flank. Davide Frattesi executed a first-time volley with his right foot, placing the ball into the near corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Kenan Piric. This marked Frattesi’s 5th goal in 15 appearances for the Italy national team.

In the second half, Italian striker Gianluca Scamacca had several chances but was either thwarted by goalkeeper Piric or failed to capitalize fully. Scamacca is currently competing with Mateo Retegui for the starting striker position at EURO 2024, and with this performance, it’s challenging for Coach Spalletti to place full trust in him.

With a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, a number of deficiencies in the Italian national team were exposed. The attack lacked sharpness and failed to create many dangerous chances. Meanwhile, Mateo Retegui remains relatively unknown in European football.

Despite keeping a clean sheet, Italy’s defense showed vulnerabilities against Bosnia’s attacks. Against stronger opponents, this defensive line is expected to face more challenges.

Additionally, Spalletti’s playing style has yet to be fully defined and flexible. The switch in tactical formation from 4-2-3-1 to 3-4-2-1 demonstrates his ongoing search for the optimal strategy. This has led to instability in Italy’s gameplay and susceptibility to opponent analysis.

The live broadcast of the Italy vs. Bosnia & Herzegovina football match took place at 01:45 today, June 10, in the framework of the World: International Friendly.

In their previous encounters, these two teams have met four times. Their most recent match was on November 19, 2020, with Bosnia & Herzegovina losing 0-2 to Italy.

In terms of recent performance, Italy has won 3 out of their last 5 encounters, with 1 draw and no losses against Bosnia & Herzegovina, who have won 0 matches, drawn 1, and lost 3.

The starting line-ups for Italy and Bosnia & Herzegovina were updated 30 minutes before kick-off.