Italy Defeat Belgium 3:1 - EURO 2008 Warm Up

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Italy Defeat Belgium 3:1 - EURO 2008 Warm Up Match
Dated: 30th May 2008 Match Review
Di Natale scores twice

by The Canadian Press
FLORENCE, Italy — Antonio Di Natale scored twice in the first half and Italy beat Belgium 3-1 on Friday in the Azzurri’s only preparation match before heading to the European Championship.

Di Natale scored in the ninth and 41st minutes and Mauro Camoranesi added another in the 48th.

Substitute Wesley Sonck headed in off a corner for Belgium in the 90th.

Italy departs for its Euro 2008 training base outside Vienna on Monday.

Di Natale started on the left flank, with Camoranesi on the right surrounding Luca Toni in Italy coach Roberto Donadoni’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Midfield maestro Andrea Pirlo set up Italy’s first goal in the ninth minute, using a series of fakes before sending a pass across the area that Di Natale redirected in with a bouncing shot.

In the 41st, surprise midfield starter Alberto Aquilani was the assist man, putting the ball at Di Natale’s feet with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Di Natale improved his tally to seven goals in 18 appearances for Italy. He also scored twice in a 2-1 win over Ukraine in Euro 2008 qualifying in September.

At 33, Del Piero led Serie A with 21 goals this season, and Donadoni has indicated he would like to pair the Juventus captain with Antonio Cassano as the other winger.

Del Piero replaced Di Natale at halftime and set up Camoranesi for an easy goal in the 48th, as Donadoni switched briefly to a 4-4-2. Cassano replaced Camoranesi in the 60th

Belgium, which failed to qualify for Euro 2008, rarely threatened the final 10 minutes, when a steady rain began to fall at Artemio Franchi stadium.

Otherwise, the visitors were thwarted by timely defence from Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and sliding tackles from Gennaro Gattuso. Andrea Barzagli paired with Cannavaro in central defence, and Giorgio Chiellini replaced Cannavaro at halftime while Marco Materazzi never left the bench.

Marouane Fellaini produced Belgium’s first shot in the 31st, hitting the side of the net.

In front of a crowd of 12,500, Italy got off to a quick start, with Camoranesi and Christian Panucci both providing dangerous crosses from the right before Di Natale put the Azzurri ahead.

After setting up Di Natale’s goal, Pirlo nearly scored himself with a free kick that missed just wide in the 15th.

The crowd chanted Pirlo’s name as he attempted another free kick in the 25th, but Belgium goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen covered the AC Milan midfielder’s shot before Toni could pounce on the rebound.

Di Natale did well to keep a cross from Gattuso crossing the sideline in the 29th, brought the ball back into the area and shot high.

Toni had his best chance in the 45th, skimming a header over the bar following a cross from Panucci. The former Fiorentina striker received a long applause after he was replaced by Marco Borriello in the 75th.

Borriello wasted a close-range opportunity in the 81st.

Tags: Antonio Di Natale, Belgium, EURO 2008, Italy, Match Highlights, world Cup

This entry was posted on Friday, May 30th, 2008 at 8:17 pm and is filed under EURO 2008, Goals, Match Highlights.

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