Italy edge past Bosnia in final Euro 2024 warm-up match

Davide Frattesi’s first-half goal gave Luciano Spalletti’s Italy a victory in their last warm-up friendly before Euro 2024.

The hosts created several chances against Bosnia & Herzegovina but their lack of finishing quality showed up glaringly as they failed to create a winning margin their chances warranted.

The goal itself was a fantastic finish from the Inter forward who with a leaping side-foot volley diverted Federico Chiesa’s cross into the roof of the net from 12 yards out.

Elsewhere, Gianluca Scamacca, who appears to be in a battle with Mateo Retegui for the spearhead role, had a number of chances but was either denied by Kenan Piric or his own profligacy.

Italy begin their Euro 2024 campaign with a Group B match against Albania in Dortmund on Saturday.

At present they stand as one of the big-eight sides, albeit along with Belgium and the Netherlands less fancied than the market leaders, but it is hard to envisage this side doing any damage in Euro 2024.

Watching this match, Albania will feel confident they can hold them out in a match Italy may well feel they need three points from ahead of matches with Spain and Croatia.

Chiesa is not playing near the same level as he did previously and Scamacca looked more like the frustrating force he was at West Ham, rather than the player who netted six in his last eight Serie A games for Atalanta.

Added to this, the feeling this is far from your forefather’s catenaccio defence, was enhance by errors from Riccardo Calafiori and Federico Dimarco whose blushes were saved on the night by Gianluigi Donnarumma – one berth where Italy can feel secure.

With four third place qualifiers getting out of the group the chances are they will reach the Round of 16 one way or another, but it is hard to see them getting any further.

Frattesi has not been a regular starter for Inter this season but his bursts of energy in what can sometimes seem a static Azzuri forward line, may see him be gifted with a starting berth. He could have had a hat-trick by half time showing some limitations in his game but he is likely to trouble defences more than other members of the squad. It remains to be seen whether he is given a starting berth but he could not have put much better a case for his inclusion than he produced tonight.

Italy: Donnarumma 7; Darmian 6, Buongiorno 7, Calafiori 6; Bellanova 7, Jorginho 6, Fagioli 6, Cambiaso 7; Frattesi 8*, Chiesa 6; Scamacca 6.

Subs: Pellegrini 6, Cristante 6, Dimarco 6, Folorunsho 6, Raspadori 6, Retegui 6.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Piric 7; Ahmedhodzic 7, Katic 7, Bicakcic 6; Gazibegovic 6, Tahirovic 6, Saric 6, Hajradinovic 6, Mujakic 6; Gigovic 6, Demirovic 6.

Subs: Huseinbasic 6, Burnic 6, Hadzikadunic 6, Sosic, Muharemovic.

8′ HAJRADINOVIC INCHES FROM TAKING THE LEAD! The ball was given away in the Italian third and played across to the midfielder on the left flank, he turned inside of Darmian but Donnarumma just got enough of a hand to the ball to push it wide.

11′ KARIC CLEARS OFF LINE! Some lovely interplay between Chiesa and Scamacca set up Frattesi and he nudges wide of the keeper where Chiesa shoots from inside the six-yard box but the Bosnia and Herzegovina defender blocks the shot.

38′ GOAL! ITALY (FRATTESI) 1-0 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA! There was no sign of this happening! But the Inter forward leapt high in the air to athletically volley home Chiesa’s cross.

64′ ALMOST GREAT GOAL FROM SCAMACCA! After Bosnia lost the ball just outside their own area, Scamacca passed back to Buongiorno and latched onto his clipped pass but his volley was denied by a great save from Piric.

72′ CAMBIASO CROSSES FOR SCAMACCA! Good work from the flanker after moving to the right hand side, but after he found his centre forwarrd, Scamacca’s effort was saved by Piric diving to his left.

90′ GREAT CHANCE FOR AN EQUALISER! But Donnarumma came to the edge of this are and denied the effort of Ahmedhodzic who was played in by Dimarco’s horror backpass.